Magic
by Eternal Soldier
Summary: Spencer Reid and Neal Caffrey were very close, since they were kids. Since Neal was arrested, though, they haven't even talked. But when a case brings the two of them together, they realise that their past could never truly go away. Past and future slash.
1. We're Working With Who?

**A/N: This fic has been a long time coming, considering how long ago I started planning it, but here it finally is- my Criminal Minds/White Collar crossover! This story will focus on Reid and Neal (of course, since they are two of the most gorgeous men on the planet). This fic is gonna be dramatic and angsty and of course romantic all at once, and while the title may make no sense now, trust me- it will later! In the White Collar timeline, this is set loosely after Kate's death, and Criminal Minds- well, I haven't figured that out yet. The timelines may be out between the two shows, but oh well!**

**This is my first foray into any fandom other than Criminal Minds, so I really hope I can do the White Collar characters justice! Well, time to begin reading _Magic_!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar, or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Magic<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter One: We're Working With Who?<span>_

* * *

><p>Agent Peter Burke never thought that there would be a case he wouldn't be able to crack. He never thought he'd have to admit to himself that he was completely stuck, and he had no idea what to do next. Even when he had been tracking Neal Caffrey, arguably the greatest con artist of all time (although he'd never actually admit that to the man in question), Peter had never thought, at any stage, that he wouldn't be able to catch the culprit. But this guy, whoever he was, had Peter scratching his head.<p>

Peter and his team had been trying to catch this con artist for nearly two months now. The man had been performed investment and insurance scams across the country, before heading to New York two weeks before Peter had gotten the case. Only a week ago, however, the con artist had turned to murder. There was no clue as to why. He just had. And Peter had no idea how to stop him. He had nothing. Even with Neal helping them out, providing his own insights, he had no idea what to do.

"I honestly have no clue how we're gonna get this guy," Peter sighed, resting his head in his hands. "I've got nothing."

"You know, normally I'd make some sort of joke right about now, but surprisingly I'm stumped too," said Neal, twirling his hat on one hand. "This guy is _good_. I mean, not as good as me, of course, but still _good_."

"How good can you be if I managed to catch you, but I can't catch this guy?" said Peter. Neal scowled at him, but Peter didn't even notice. He was too busy focusing on the case, thinking over the information in his head again and again, trying to think of _anything_ that he might have missed. Absolutely _anything_ that could be used to crack this case wide open.

Peter sighed again. He had nothing. He had absolutely _nothing_ except for what the con artist had wanted him to find. And he knew that if he wanted to catch this guy any time soon, before he fled New York and moved on to another city, the minds of his team and Neal weren't going to be enough. They were going to need help.

Peter pulled out his cell phone, and went searching through his contacts until he found the number he had saved in there.

"Who are you calling?" Neal asked, confused.

"Jennifer Jareau," Peter replied. "Communications Liaison of the Behaviour Analysis Unit in Quantico."

Neal started in his seat at Peter's words, but luckily the agent was too busy looking through his phone to notice. He recognised the name of that unit. He _knew_ the name of that unit. In fact, he knew it very well.

"Agent Jareau?" Peter suddenly said. "Hi, Agent Peter Burke here, from the White Collar Division in New York. D'you remember me?" Peter laughed at something the other agent had said. "Yeah, well, we really need help here. We have a con-artist-turned-murderer here, and absolutely _no_ idea who he is, how he's managed to do what he's doing, why he's turned to murder, or how to stop him." There was another moment of silence, as Agent Jareau said something to Peter. "You will? That's fantastic, thank you." Peter hung up, turning to face Neal again.

"So are they coming?" Neal asked.

Peter nodded. "Jareau's going to present the case to the rest of her team in an hour, and they'll be here about two or three hours after that," he replied. "And thank god they're coming. God knows we need the help."

Neal hesitated, opening his mouth and closing it again. It was obvious that there was something he wanted to say. "Whatever you have to say, say it now," said Peter. "But unless it's 'I know who the con artist is', I don't particularly want to hear it."

"Do we really need that unit's help?" Neal asked. "I mean, come on, with enough time we can crack this."

"The thing is, though, we don't have any time," Peter pointed out. "We need to stop this guy before he strikes again- more importantly, before he _kills_ again. And I know you know that we can't do this on our own. _We need the help_, Neal."

Neal looked at Peter, like he was trying to stare the agent down. "We've cracked every other case that's come before us, Peter," he implored. "We've never needed help before."

"And we may never need it again," said Peter. "But we need it now." He studied Neal, confused. "You're awfully opposed to this, Caffrey. Any particular reason _why_ you don't want the BAU's help?"

"I just don't think we need the help, that's all," Neal replied, a sense of finality to his voice. Peter knew there was definitely more to the story, but he also knew that there was nothing he could say that would make Neal open up. It was strange, though. What kind of connection could Neal possibly have to the BAU? He'd never come up against them before; Peter knew that for a fact.

"Well, it's too late," said Peter, wanting to bring the argument to a close. "I've already called them, and they're already coming. And I happen to disagree with you, Neal: I think we really need their help."

Neal just sighed, not wanting to say something he'd regret. He didn't want to admit it to Peter, but he agreed that they desperately needed the BAU's help. That wasn't why he didn't want them to come. He had his own reasons. Personal reasons. Reasons that he didn't want to tell Peter. Ever.

* * *

><p>As soon as Jennifer Jareau had hung up after her conversation with Peter, she'd called his team to tell them to bring their go bags to work. She'd gotten the same reactions to the request as she always did; Morgan and Prentiss's conflicting emotions of excitement and disappointment, Hotch's and Rossi's acceptance and almost non-reaction, Reid's intrigue, and Garcia's disappointment that her 'babies' were flying away and leaving her again.<p>

The team arrived at work between half an hour and an hour later: Reid and Hotch first, Morgan last. They headed into the meeting room, chatting, while JJ set the room up to explain the case they had been given.

"Okay," she said, and the team took their seats, pulling their files towards them. "We have a con artist, name and detailed appearance unknown, who has been conducting insurance and investment scams across the country for quite a long period of time. Two months ago, he headed to New York."

"Okay, not to sound sceptical, but why is this a BAU case?" Morgan asked. "I mean, a con artist? Really?"

"It's a BAU case, because one week ago the guy did this," JJ answered, pressing a button on her remote and changing the image on the screen. It became one of a young woman with multiple stab wounds to her chest, and large cuts down her face and arms. "The UnSub turned to murder."

"This reminds me of that William Hodges case, in San Diego," Reid mused. "When the con artist snapped and started killing his victims."

"Except this UnSub isn't only targeting women," JJ pointed out. "His victims are of both sexes." She pressed the button on her remote again, and a series of images passed across the screen: the known victims of their UnSub.

"That's a _lot_ of victims," Prentiss realised, her eyes growing wide as she stared at the screen. "This guy's prolific."

"And this is just his known victims," Rossi added. "There's no telling how long the actual list could be."

"Actually-" Reid began, but Morgan interrupted him.

"That didn't require an answer, kid," Morgan said. Reid looked at him apologetically, and Morgan laughed. "No need to apologise."

"The main problem is, the team in New York have no idea _why_ this guy turned to murder," JJ continued. "And they have no idea when they're going to strike again. That's why they've called us in."

"Get everything ready," said Hotch, gathering up his files. "Wheel's up in an hour." He left the room, JJ and Rossi both following behind him. This left Garcia, Reid, Morgan and Prentiss.

"I can't believe you guys get to go to New York again, and I have to be left behind all alone!" Garcia whined dramatically.

"Come on, baby girl, you know we'll be working," Morgan laughed. "We won't have any time to take in the sites or do anything fun."

"Yes, but _New York_!" Garcia exclaimed. "Morgan, you do not _understand_! New York is, like, my ultimate American destination!"

"Well, Garcia, next time we get time off I'll take you up there myself, okay?" said Morgan, eliciting much clapping and squealing from the technical analyst.

"Well I guess that will have to do," said Garcia, sighing dramatically. "Off you go, my fine furry friends." She headed off to her office, files in hand.

"You know, the last time Garcia called us that, Hotch said he was going to have her drug tested," Reid informed the other two to their stunned laughter.

"Somehow, I think that's just who Garcia is," said Prentiss. "A little bit crazy; but that's the way we love her."

"And I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't have my baby girl any other way," Morgan said fondly. Prentiss and Reid nodded emphatically, before the three of them headed off to their desks to make their final preparations before leaving for New York.

True to Hotch's word, the team was on the jet an hour after the briefing, on their way to New York. JJ had put in another call to the agent in charge of the case, letting him know that they were on their way. As soon as she hung up the phone, she returned to the rest of the team.

"Okay, so let's go over this again," said Hotch. "What have we got so far?"

"We have an UnSub who has been conducting insurance and investment scams all over the continental US for over two years," Reid began.

"Hang on a sec," Rossi interrupted. "Are we so sure it's only one guy? I mean, is there any chance it may be two?"

"Well, there isn't any definitive proof of that," JJ mused, looking down at her file, "but there isn't anything that proves that it's only one person. So yes, it is possible."

"Anyway," said Hotch, "this guy's been operating all over the country. He only headed to New York about two and a half months ago."

"This is the first time he's been to New York?" Prentiss asked. Hotch nodded. "Has he visited any place more than once?"

"Once he leaves a state, he doesn't go back," Reid supplied helpfully. "New York is the last one. Well, other than Alaska and Hawaii, anyway. And by the looks of what we have so far, he isn't going to go there. He isn't going to risk flying, I don't think."

"So after leaving New York, he's going to have to start again," Morgan realised. "And then we'll have no idea where he is. He'll be completely lost to us."

"Which is why we need to work fast," said Hotch.

"Hey, this guy hasn't killed before, correct?" said Prentiss, receiving murmured assent from the rest of the team. "So why has he killed now? What's changed? What made him snap?" She jabbed at the photo of the victim in her file with a finger.

"Sally Weston," said Reid. "Single, no children, lived alone, but with strong ties to her family and a number of close friends. She was a… secretary for a marketing firm."

"So what we've really gotta figure out, is _why_ this particular victim caused our UnSub to snap," said Morgan.

"If we figure that out, we should be led to our UnSub," said Rossi.

The team fell silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the case. Suddenly, though, JJ spoke up. "There is something you guys need to know about the team we're working with, though." The others all looked up at her, confused. "We will, of course, be working with the White Collar Division. The lead agent is Peter Burke."

Reid almost flinched in his seat, staring at JJ with shock in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, did you say Peter Burke?" he asked.

All eyes of the team turned to Reid, watching his reaction. As far as they knew, he had never met Agent Peter Burke before. So why was he reacting this way? It was strange, even for him.

"Yes, that it what I said," said JJ slowly, making her confusion obvious. "The thing is, though, he's got someone consulting with him who isn't- well, your usual consultant. He's a convicted forger, and he is also alleged to have carried out a number of other forgeries and cons. His name is Neal Caffrey."

If Reid's reaction had been strange and unexpected before, this one was even more so. His face went white, and his eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. Luckily for him, though, while the team had noticed his shocked reaction, they hadn't noticed the severity of it. They were too busy feeling shocked themselves.

"I'm sorry?" said Morgan. "He's working with a convicted felon?"

"Burke's success rate has shot through the roof since he started working with Caffrey," Hotch pointed out. "And Caffrey has genuinely been helping him, he's been putting his own life on the line to help the FBI."

"He's genuinely switched sides," JJ agreed. "Although I heard that personality wise, he hasn't changed a thing."

"Hey, as long as he helps us out, I really don't care what he used to be," said Rossi. "We've seen far, far worse guys than him." Morgan and Prentiss nodded in agreement; Reid, however, remained silent.

"Reid, are you okay?" JJ asked.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine," said Reid quickly, clearly anything but.

"Are you sure?" Morgan insisted. "Because I mean, if you're not, you can sit this one out if you really want-"

"I am fine," said Reid. "Really."

The rest of the team looked at Reid sceptically, but they all knew that his answer wasn't going to change. He would never admit that something was wrong, even if it was. They could only hope that whatever it was, it wasn't something that would destroy him.

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on, pick up," Neal muttered, as he listened to the dial tone on the other end. "Come on, man…"<p>

Finally, it stopped. "Hello?" said a voice on the other end.

Neal sighed in relief. "Hey, Mozz, it's me," he said.

"Well, of course it is," said Mozzie. "Who else would be calling me from your phone?"

"Mozz, now's not the time," said Neal. "I need you to do something for me."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Neal could practically hear the cogs whirring in Mozzie's head. "Okay," he said finally. "What is it?"

"It's nothing illegal, Mozz," Neal told him. "I… I need you to get something out of storage for me."

"Get something out of storage for you?" Mozzie repeated.

"Yes," Neal replied. "It's here, in New York. You know where."

"Alright," Mozzie agreed. "What is it, may I ask?"

"It's an old, wooden box," Neal answered. "Mahogany. And it's not stolen, either," he added, sensing what Mozzie was about to say. "It's mine. It belongs to me. And Mozz, don't look at what's inside. Just get it for me."

Neal could tell that Mozzie was confused. "Neal, is something going on? Did Peter say something to you?"

"This has nothing to do with Peter," said Neal hurriedly. "Just please, get it for me."

"Okay, Neal, I'll get it." As soon as he'd gotten Mozzie's agreement, Neal hung up the phone. He still couldn't believe that this was happening, but it was. And he was just going to have to make the best of it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, there's chapter one, everybody! What did you think about my first attempt at a crossover? Love, hate, meh, in between, all three? Please shoot me a review and let me know, I love receiving them- they totally make my day!  
>And don't worry, chapter 2 won't take me as long to post as I did posting new chapters from my last multi-chapter fic, as it is almost finished! Look for it soon!<strong>

******Oh, and I've finally set up that twitter account I was going to set up connected to this account, where I am going to post when I update my stories, post new ones, and also ask any of you guys that might have prompts for me to send them to me there, and I will be sure to right them for you. So any of you that have twitter, follow me and tweet me any prompts you have for me- my username is EternalFanFics :) I will also post there when I start working on a new story or come up with an idea for one, so you know when I am writing new stories for you lovelies to read. Thanking you in advance for following me! :)******

******Note from Diamond Cobra: "Neal is my favourite criminal. He's like Patrick Jane, but more badass."******


	2. Getting Under My Skin

**A/N: I told you I'd get this one up quickly, didn't I guys? I actually had this chapter nearly completed when I posted the first one, so it didn't take me that long to finish at all. I was actually trying to post this chapter last night, but the doc manager on my macbook was being really stupid and wouldn't let me edit the document, and by then it was too late at night to switch to the home computer (which I am using now). Oh well, at least I can post the chapter now! I don't know how long it will take me to write the next chapter, though, as I am in the middle of my final year 12 exams, and I have an exam in the next three days (including today, in my best subject so am even more nervous!) But as soon as 2pm on Wednesday hits, I will write like the wind!**

**Also, I want to thank everyone who added this story to their alert or favourites or took the time to review the first chapter. I didn't expect that type of response so soon- you guys are amazing! So let's see what happens when the BAU arrives in New York, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Two: Getting Under My Skin<span>_

* * *

><p>For the first time ever, Reid found himself wishing that the jet would never land, and that they would never get to their crime scene. It would only take them an hour to fly there, but Reid couldn't help but hope that something, <em>anything<em> would happen to delay their arrival. He did _not_ want to go to New York. At all.

Reid could sense the team watching him; they were profilers, and there was no way they couldn't know that something was going on with him. He'd just have to convince them that it wasn't serious, because they could never, ever know the truth.

So while the team talked about the case at hand and the UnSub they were on their way to stop, Reid contributed to their discussions, but only to keep the team off of his back. If he was acting like everything was normal and nothing was wrong, hopefully they would take his lead and act that way too. He could sense them still watching him, like he knew they would be, but luckily none of them said anything to Reid about why he was acting so weird.

As they got closer to the city that never sleeps the reality of what was about to happen sank in for Reid, he began to feel more and more nervous. He had never thought that this day would come, and he most definitely hadn't been ready for it. He had no idea what he was going to do. The situation had just been thrust upon him, and he had had no time to prepare for it.

_Just focus on the case_, Reid told himself. _Just focus on the case, and keep your mind off everything else. Just do that, and they won't bug you. Just do that, and you'll be able to get through this._

The plane did eventually touch down however, and the team headed into the White Collar Division of the New York branch of the FBI. As they walked into the workplace, a man stepped out of an office, followed by another group of people.

"BAU?" the man asked.

JJ nodded, reaching out and shaking the man's hand. "I'm Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. These are Agents Aaron Hotchner, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Derek Morgan and Doctor Spencer Reid," she introduced, indicating each of the team members in turn.

"I'm Agent Peter Burke," the man said. "These are Agents Diana Barrigan and Clinton Jones. And this is my C.I., Neal Caffrey."

Neal Caffrey stepped forward and shook each team member's hand in turn, flashing the two women on the team, JJ and Prentiss, particularly charming smiles. He arrived at Reid last, and a strange look appeared on his face as he shook the young genius's hand. The same look was mirrored on Reid's face, but neither man said anything; they didn't want to draw attention to themselves.

Luckily, nobody else seemed to have noticed their expressions either, or if they had, nobody commented on it. "Let's head into our conference room," Peter said, leading everyone else through the bullpen. "We've got an evidence board set up in there ready to go."

"We're also going to need to set up a link to our technical analyst back in Quantico," JJ informed him. "She's got more information on the UnSub's victims for us."

"Surely we can get that information ourselves the old-fashioned way," said Diana. "Caffrey here could probably get anyone to give him anything."

"Trust me, this way is quicker," Morgan said. "Garcia could get any information we asked her for. Although I'm not entirely sure that her way is entirely legal, either."

The agents and Neal all settled around the table, talking about their victims and their case. At first Reid was talking with the rest of them or perusing his case file, but after several minutes he stopped, his hand moving to the pocket in his slacks that held the wallet containing his FBI badge.

It was empty.

When he first realised this, Reid began to panic. What kind of genius was he, managing to lose his FBI badge? How bad at his job would Agent Burke and his team think he was? They would think he wasn't up to it, and they would never take him seriously.

Reid's eyes flickered upwards, and he caught sight of Neal sending him a sidelong smirk. Of _course_; why hadn't he realised that in the first place? He fixed his eyes on the con man, and slowly everybody else turned to look at them.

"Can I have my wallet back, please, Caffrey?" Reid asked, a note of slight irritation in his voice. "It has my FBI badge in it."

Neal chuckled. "What makes you think _I_ have your wallet?" he said, hands held up in a show of innocence.

Peter glowered at Neal. "Caffrey, give Dr Reid back his wallet, thank you," he ordered. "We need to work with these people, not scare them off."

Still laughing, Neal pulled Reid's wallet out of his shirt pocket and handed it back to the genius. "Just a friendly joke to say welcome, Spencer," said Neal, grinning.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Neal, confused. He'd used Reid's first name, which was very unusual. It had only been mentioned once, when JJ had been introducing the team. And since then, everybody had been calling each other by their last names. Why on earth had Neal used Reid's first name then?

"Okay then," said Hotch, trying to draw attention back to the case. "Morgan, Prentiss, I want you go to with Agent Jones and check out the murder victim's house. Rossi, you and Agent Barrigan can go talk to the victim's family. Agent Burke and I are going to the victims of some of this guy's other cons. JJ and Reid, I want the two of you to stay here and work victimology. Call Garcia, and see what information she has managed to dig up on the victims."

"And what about me?" Neal asked, flashing a smile.

Peter looked deep in thought for a moment, before sighing heavily. "Neal, as much as I don't want to do this, because I don't really trust you to behave when you're not around me, and sometimes even then, I need you to remain behind here and work victimology with Agent Jareau and Doctor Reid. Maybe you can provide them a unique insight as to why our guy is picking these particular victims."

Neal grimaced. "Do I really have to stay behind?" he pleaded. "Surely I could be much more help out in the field with you."

"Neal, the fact that you're a convicted forger, as well as a con artist-" Peter began.

"_Alleged_ con artist," Neal corrected. "I was only ever convicted of forgery."

"That's not the point, Caffrey," said Peter irritably. "The fact that you are a con artist, alleged or otherwise, will only aggravate the victims. They won't want to talk to us if you're there."

"Couldn't I go to the crime scene then?" Neal asked.

"Agents Morgan and Prentiss are more than capable of checking out the crime scene with Jones," said Peter. "They don't need your help. You would be much more help here. You're staying behind, Neal."

Neal sighed, but sensing defeat he said nothing. Reid had a slightly panicked look on his face, but luckily no one was paying attention to him.

"Good," said Peter. "We're heading out then." Everyone left the room and headed off to their respective assignments, leaving JJ, Reid and Neal alone in the room.

JJ and Reid moved towards the boards already set up in the room, Reid studiously avoiding looking at or making eye contact with Neal. Neal wasn't paying any attention to Reid either, but he was certainly paying attention to JJ. He came up behind her, peering over her shoulder at what she was doing on the board. JJ looked around at him, confused.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Oh no, I'm just looking at what you were doing," said Neal innocently, not moving away from JJ. "You know, you have _really_ beautiful hair. How do you getting it looking so fabulous? And it smells like strawberries, too."

"I… wash it pretty much every day," JJ answered slowly, taking a step backwards. It was obvious- to her, anyway- that Neal was flirting with her. He flashed her a grin, placing a hand on her arm. If she was single, JJ may have reciprocated. But she wasn't.

It seemed that Reid, despite how little he knew about romance and flirting, had noticed Neal's advances towards JJ as well. "Can you leave her alone, Caffrey?" he asked, barely disguising the anger in his voice.

"Whatever do you mean?" said Neal.

"It's obvious that you're flirting with her," Reid continued. "And if I can see it, given how little I know about those sorts of things, than anyone could see it."

"So?" said Neal. "What's wrong with a little harmless flirting?"

"JJ had a partner," Reid pointed out. "Will. And she has a son at home. So she's not exactly available. And besides, we're supposed to be working."

"Reid, it's okay," said JJ. "And besides, Morgan and Garcia flirt all the time."

"Yeah, but _while _they're working," said Reid. "Not _instead_ of working."

"Besides, Agent Reid, it's just a little harmless flirting," said Neal. "No one's getting hurt by it, are they? It's not like you know anything about me, besides my criminal past, which would mean you wouldn't want me to flirt with JJ, is there?"

Reid didn't answer Neal- he couldn't. His fists clenched tightly, as he fought not to retaliate to the con artist's baiting. "We really should be working," he said finally, before turning studiously back to the board and picking up a marker. JJ looked at Reid, completely nonplussed, before deciding it wasn't worth it and beginning to work as well. Before Neal could join them, however, his phone began to ring.

Neal was about to reject the call, but glancing at the caller ID he picked up immediately. "Hello, Mozzie," he said.

Reid froze, the marker he was holding poised over the board. He bit his lip, trying hard not to say anything. JJ, who was working, luckily didn't notice his expression.

"The box is at your place waiting for you, my friend," Mozzie said to Neal.

"Thanks, man," Neal replied, relieved. "I really appreciate this."

"I've got to say, though, I'm curious as to what's in this box," said Mozzie. "What on earth could be so important to you, that not even _I'm_ not allowed to see?"

"Nice try, Mozz," said Neal. "Goodbye." He hung up his phone, returning to Reid and JJ and their work.

It was over an hour later before all the others returned to the office. "Okay, what've we got?" Hotch asked.

"Well according to the victim's family, she was a very upstanding person," said Rossi. "Never put a foot wrong."

"Not only that, but she played it safe," Diana added. "She never took any risks."

"And there is no sign of a break in at the victim's house," Morgan said, and Prentiss nodded. "From what we could see, it looks like she invited him inside."

"There isn't any sign of a struggle, either," said Prentiss. "Besides where the victim's body fell, nothing seems out of place. At all."

"So the victim knew this man well," Peter realised.

"And she trusted him," said Hotch. "She _let_ him into her house."

"That means that our UnSub looks and sounds like a trustworthy person," said Reid. "Kind. Caring. Compassionate. Easy to open up to. Good-looking." Reid glanced over at Neal for the briefest of moments, but he looked away before anyone could notice.

"You've certainly given that a lot of thought, Spence," said JJ, confused.

"I've met people exactly like this guy before," said Reid darkly. Everyone else watched him for a moment, but realising he wasn't going to say anything else they turned away. They moved closer to the board, looking at what JJ, Reid and Neal had been working on.

"You know, I thought Agent Jareau was a beautiful woman," Neal said to Prentiss suddenly, appearing at her shoulder. "But that was before I got a real good look at you. I _definitely_ prefer brunettes."

"Uh, huh, of course you do," said Prentiss, a knowing smile on her face.

"I most definitely do," said Neal.

"Yeah, never going to happen," said Prentiss, chuckling slightly.

"You know, I've known very few women who could resist the charms of Neal Caffrey," said Neal.

"Can you just give it a break please, Caffrey?" Reid almost spat, anger evident in his voice. "JJ is taken, and Prentiss isn't going to buy into your act. Can you just not flirt with them?"

"Agent Reid, I-" Neal began, taken aback, but Reid interrupted him.

"It's _Doctor_ Reid," Reid corrected. "And we should be working, not flirting."

"Reid, what's gotten into you?" JJ asked.

"Maybe we should go back to our hotel," Hotch suggested. "Pick this up in the morning."

"Good idea," Peter agreed. "We'll see you in the morning, then."

The BAU team left the room, Reid never looking back. As soon as they had gone, Diana, Jones and Peter turned to look at Neal. "What on earth was that about, Caffrey?" Peter demanded.

"I just got Doctor Reid mad," Neal replied. "I have no idea how, though."

Peter had no way of knowing whether Neal was lying or not; he had a hunch, but he couldn't be sure. "Well, however you got him mad, you need to fix it, okay? We have to get along with these people for a while longer!"

"Okay, okay Peter," said Neal, picking up his hat and placing it perfectly on top of his head. He flashed them his usual charming smile, but it didn't quite reach his ears. "I'll fix it, geez." Neal walked out of the room without a backwards glance, leaving the three FBI agents staring after him.

"What on earth was that about?" Diana asked. Peter had no answer.

* * *

><p>"Hey Reid, what was going on back there?" Prentiss asked as the BAU arrived at their hotel. "You don't usually react so strongly to anything."<p>

"Oh, it was nothing," said Reid dismissively. "I was just tired, that's all. And I've seen guys like him before." Being profilers, and knowing Reid better than anybody else in the world, the team didn't buy that for a second.

"You know, maybe he's just angry at that Caffrey guy for stealing his wallet," Morgan laughed, smirking at Reid. "I mean, you didn't even notice he'd taken it until you went looking for it."

"Yeah, I guess that's it," said Reid distractedly, not even looking at Morgan.

"Kid, are you okay?" Morgan asked, concerned. Reid didn't respond. "Reid?"

"I'm tired," said Reid, ignoring Morgan completely. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, guys." Reid walked away, the others watching him go with confused, and in some cases, concerned looks on their faces. Reid didn't notice or care, though; his mind was far away, with a young man with charming good looks, a charismatic smile and a knack for getting into trouble. A young man who had, within seconds of seeing him that morning, had wormed his way into Reid's mind. Neal Caffrey.

The con artist in question had finally arrived back at his place, shrugging off his jacket and hanging up his hat. He turned around and looked at the table, where the mahogany box was sitting, waiting for him. "Thank you, Mozz," Neal said to himself as he crossed the room, sitting down at the table. He couldn't move for a good, long while; he just stared at the box, thinking. Opening the box would open up a can of worms Neal didn't think he was ready for. But he had to. If they were going to work together, he'd have to at least _try_ and work through this.

Slowly, his hand almost trembling, Neal reached and opened the box. Letting out a deep sigh, he stared down upon its contents. "I've missed you, Spencer Reid," he whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So Reid and Neal have finally met... but they knew each other be****fore! Something tells me they have a complicated history there... guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh? :P**

**Now I have to go and do some last minute studying before my psychology exam... you guys know what to do!**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "Neal = love"**


	3. You Haven't Changed A Bit

**A/N: Sorry this took so long guys, but as I told you I had a whole bunch of exams at once leading up to last Wednesday, so I couldn't start writing until then. Also I got the last Inheritance book on Wednesday, so I've been a little bit, um, distracted. :P But never fear, because here is the next chapter of Magic!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar, or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Three: You Haven't Changed A Bit<em>

* * *

><p>Peter sat at his kitchen table the next morning, the cereal in front of him, untouched and starting to congeal. He was worried, and thinking hard, but not about the case. About Neal. Doctor Reid's reaction to Neal's antics the day before had definitely not been normal. Either Neal had done more to aggravate Reid while they were working than either of them let on, or there was another reason for the doctor's apparently abnormal anger. The shocked reactions from the rest of the BAU had told Peter that Reid did not normally act that way. So what was going on?<p>

"Peter, are you even listening to me?" Peter's wife Elizabeth asked.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" said Peter distractedly, clearly not having heard a word his wife had been saying.

"I guess not then," said Elizabeth, sitting down closer to Peter. "You definitely have something on your mind. And going from past experience, I'm going to say it has something to do with Neal." Peter sighed, looking away from Elizabeth and back down at his cereal again. "Aha, I was right. Of course I was." Peter didn't react, though; he just looked at his food blankly, a million different possibilities flying through his head. "Okay, what's going on?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm worried about him, Elizabeth," Peter admitted. "Something's going on, and not the usual type of something that makes me suspect he's going to do something illegal."

"What is it, then?"

"I'm not quite sure," said Peter. "But Neal's acting really weird, and it's got nothing to do with Kate, or that music box. It's got something to do with Doctor Reid, from the Behavioural Analysis Unit. That team we're working with on this case. I don't know what it is. And I don't know what to do about it, either."

"I don't think there's anything you can do, sweetie," said Elizabeth soothingly. Peter looked at her, shocked. "Unless Neal is going to do something that could land him back in prison, he needs to work this out on his own."

"I guess you're right," Peter relented, standing up to leave and putting on his jacket. "I just hope he _can_ work this out on his own."

* * *

><p>Peter <em>had<em> fully intended to listen to his wife, and do what she had suggested about Neal. Really, he had. But when Neal showed up for work that morning, he was unusually quiet and subdued. His eyes didn't follow any of the female agents that passed him, he didn't flash anyone his usual, charming grin, and he definitely didn't do anything he shouldn't have been doing. He just walked into the office, his head down and the case file in hand, and headed into the meeting room without a word.

Peter walked into the room after Neal, but it took the con artist a while to notice that his boss was standing next to him. "Hey, Neal-" Peter began, but before he could ask him anything, the BAU and Peter's two agents walked into the room, ready to begin working again.

Reid, after an interrupted night's sleep dreaming about things he definitely didn't want to be dreaming about, had managed to calm himself down a little from the surprises of the day before. He had promised himself as they left the hotel that morning that he would not let anything Neal said or did aggravate him, but at the same time he also knew that the two of them definitely needed to talk.

Now was not that time, though- they'd begun working, talking about their murderous con artist. They were all bouncing ideas and information off of each other, trying to figure out what their next course of action should be. Everyone, that is, except for Neal. No one was paying any attention to him other than Reid, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye. Neal was unusually silent, looking down at his hat as he twirled it in his hands. Reid was pretty sure he could guess what the other man was thinking about.

"It's like this guy is always going to be at least three step ahead of us," Jones sighed. "I mean, he's been around for ages and he's never been caught."

"You know, con artists in general have been around for a very long time," Reid said thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped himself before he could go on one of his normal ramblings.

Morgan had to chuckle at that. "Oh come on then, Reid," he said. "I know you want to tell us."

Reid gave Morgan a small smile. "All right then," he said. "Con artists aren't exactly a new phenomenon. Back in the Medieval times doctors were selling treatments they knew wouldn't work, they even changed the cures depending on the economic standing of the individual. For example, they sold peasants a delightful cure of urine and toads for the Black Plague, yet the wealthy were sold powdered gemstones.

"Not only that, but many of them have also caused deaths. A Gregor MacGregor in England in the 1800s mocked up a fake map of 'his kingdom' Poyois and sold island real estate to over 500 people from more than one country. Of the first boatload of people that went to 'their' island, very few ever came back.

"Ok, so maybe they weren't deliberate deaths and there was no malicious intent other than the removal of money from gullible nobles, but he didn't stop the scams once the few that did survive returned. He continued to sell and, in their ignorance, the survivors defended him, not believing that he could lie to them about something so large. They truly believed he was an honest man and he played on that belief and continued to profit from it, despite how many people had to suffer for it."

When Reid had finished speaking, the other members of the BAU had bemused looks on their faces, while Peter, Diana and Jones were stunned. Neal, however, was grinning at Reid, shaking his head as if to say _that's so typical_.

"How on earth did you know that?" Peter asked.

"We don't how he knows most of the things he knows," said Prentiss. "And he could probably tell you anything about anything."

Neal was still shaking his head in amusement at Reid's extensive knowledge. Nobody was paying any attention to Neal as they were all too busy watching Reid, but the genius himself could see Neal out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, as greatly impressed as I am by your agent's knowledge," said Peter, his sincerity obvious, "I want to go out and visit this guy, Travis Palmer. He worked rather closely with our vic at her marketing firm." He looked over at Neal, who once again bore his usual charming grin. "Neal, I could use your help this time."

"Great, I can finally get out of this office," said Neal happily, rising to his feet and settling his hat perfectly on his head.

"Reid, why don't you go with them," Hotch suggested. "We could use a profiler's eye when interviewing Palmer, just in case."

Reid nodded. "On it." He rose to his feet too, following Peter and Neal out of the building and into their car.

"You know, I'm curious," Peter said to Reid as they drove. "How is it that you know so much?"

"I have an IQ of 187, I can read 20,000 words per minute, and I have an eidetic memory," Reid explained. "So I remember everything I've ever read."

"Wow," said Peter, unable to say anything else. "So you're a genius, then."

"Pretty much, yeah," said Reid, very matter-of-fact. "I graduated from high school when I was 12."

"Better than Neal here," Peter laughed. "He didn't even finish high school."

Neal shifted uncomfortably in the front passenger seat. "That wasn't through lack of ability," he reminded Peter. "I'm not really suited to the traditional classroom setting."

Both Peter and Reid were saved from answering by their arrival at Travis Palmer's workplace. "This could be interesting," Peter mused. "I really don't know what this guy's going to give us."

"Even if he doesn't _think_ he knows anything, or knows anything of significance, he may still know something that can help us," Reid said. "Any little piece of information can help us build our profile."

Peter looked thoughtful. "Let's go talk to him and see what we can find out, shall we?"

The two agents and the con artist walked up the stairs and through the double doors into the building. They walked up to the front desk, where Peter and Reid flashed their badges. "I'm Agent Peter Burke, and this is Dr Spencer Reid," said Peter.

"And I'm Neal Caffrey, CI extraordinaire," Neal added, causing Peter to respond with an angry glare.

"We need to talk to Travis Palmer," Reid told the receptionist.

"Is this about Sally?" the receptionist asked, picking up the office phone.

Peter nodded. "We understand Mr Palmer worked closely with her?"

"She worked with a few people here," the receptionist replied. "But it was Travis she worked most closely with, yes."

"Did you know her?" Reid asked.

"Not well," the receptionist admitted. "We didn't really work together that much. But she was a really nice person. I was sad to lose her." The receptionist spoke into the phone for a few moments, before looking up at the three men. "Travis is waiting for you in his office," she announced. "Second on the left."

"Thank you," said Peter, leading the other two to the office the receptionist had indicated. Peter knocked on the second door on the left, like they had been told, and the man sitting at the desk immediately looked up.

"FBI, right?" he said. Peter nodded. "Please, have a seat." Peter and Reid sat down in the two seats in front of Travis's desk, while Neal began looking around the room. "I understand you're here about the death of Sally Weston, yes?"

"Yes, we are," said Peter. "We have been told that you worked rather closely with Miss Weston."

"I did work with her quite a bit, yes," Travis agreed. "Sally did some work for a number of us around here, but I was the one who she did the most work for."

"And why is that?" Peter asked.

"She was good at her job," Travis replied simply.

"There was nothing else?" said Peter.

"No, that was it," said Travis.

"Did you know her personally?" Peter continued. "Outside of work, I mean."

"No, not at all," said Travis, looking down at his papers on his desk. "Sally was a very quiet woman. Kept to herself. The only thing we ever talked about was work."

"Alright," said Peter, rising from his seat, Reid following. He held out his hand, which Travis shook. "Thank you for your time."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," said Travis as the three men left the room.

"Seems he really wasn't that much help to us," said Neal once they had left the building.

"He was lying," Reid said instantly, drawing stunned looks from both Peter and Neal.

"How could you tell?" Peter asked, curious.

"It's part of profiling," Reid replied as they climbed into the car and headed off. "We learn to read people's body language. And Travis Palmer's tells me he was lying."

"Lying about what?" Neal asked.

"He knew Sally better than he was letting on," said Reid. "Did you see how he looked down at his work as soon as Agent Burke asked if he knew the victim personally? He was lying about that."

"So he knows more than he was letting on," Peter realised. "He could know something about Miss Weston's killer."

"He could," Reid agreed. "Hotch will know what to do about that one."

It wasn't long until the three men arrived back at the FBI office, where the others were waiting for them. "What did you find out?" Hotch asked.

"Palmer claimed that he didn't know anything about the victim besides the work she did with him," Reid told everyone.

"You sound like you don't believe him," said Rossi.

"I don't," said Reid. "He was lying. He knows more than he was letting on."

"I still don't know how Doctor Reid here saw it," Peter said. "I honestly believe that Palmer was telling the truth, but once Reid explained it to me, I realised he was right. Palmer knows more about Miss Weston than he was letting on. Maybe even something that could help us with this case. Diana, I think you should keep an eye on him."

"Got it," Diana said.

"I'll get Garcia to look into him as well," Morgan said. "Maybe she can find something."

Everyone moved around the room working, but as they did so Neal suddenly appeared beside Reid. "I see you haven't changed at all," he whispered in the genius's ear, so quiet that nobody else could hear him.

Reid turned around to face Neal quickly, shushing him quietly. "We'll talk about this later," he hissed hurriedly. Neal didn't care about Reid's apparent anger, though; he flashed him a grin before going to talk to Peter.

Reid left the FBI that day deep in thought, feeling quite unsure about what to do. He fished in his pocket for the keys to the SUV, but he pulled out a slip of paper instead. Written on that piece of paper were a phone number and an address, nothing else. There was no name written there, but Reid didn't need one. He knew who had put the paper there: Neal.

_He hasn't changed a bit, either_, Reid thought to himself. And as he climbed into the car, he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A lot of you asked about the secret box that Neal has and what's inside, and I'm sorry for not revealing that this time. But fret not- it will be revealed in the next chapter! :P But how did you like this one, anyway? Good enough for a review?**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "I did all the smart sounding Reid stuff. Did I do good?"**


	4. I Really Did Miss You

**A/N: I am _so _sorry this chapter took so long, guys! But there is a reason for that- well, several actually. First, I just got Assassin's Creed Revelations. Second, I got the last Eragon book. Third, I got Skyrim. And fourth, my USB corrupted with an almost finished chapter on it, so I had to write it again! But here it finally is, and I promise you I won't take as long next time! But I hope the wait was worth it, as the contents of Neal's secret box are finally revealed!**

**Oh, and for anyone who reads my Reid/Morgan series, _Leg Wound_ is almost done and should be up by the end of the week at the latest!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar, or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Four: I Really Did Miss You<em>

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm really curious now," Mozzie admitted, as he sat at Neal's dining table with him. Neal had the mahogany box open in front of him and was staring down at its contents, but he had the box turned so Mozzie could not see what it contained. "You have to tell me, man. What's inside that box that was so important you needed me to get it for you?"<p>

Neal hesitated. Mozzie would not be happy when he found out what was inside. Not happy at all. He'd been the one that wanted Neal to throw them out. He wouldn't be very pleased to know that Neal had actually kept them.

"Come on, Neal," Mozzie implored. "I'm your friend, aren't I?"

Neal sighed. "All right, fine," he said, and he turned the box around so Mozzie could see inside. "It's the letters," he admitted. "The letters from him."

As Neal had expected, Mozzie instantly angered at his words, his face turning an unattractive shade of puce. "You _kept them_?" he exclaimed. "Neal, I told you to throw them out!"

"I know you did," said Neal. "And you also know that I couldn't do that, Mozz. They meant too much to me. _He_ meant too much to me."

"Exactly. He _meant_ too much to you," Mozzie pointed out. "Then he left. You shouldn't have these anymore. I told you he was no good for you."

"That's a lie and you know it, Mozz," said Neal. "He was good for me. Just because he didn't like you..."

"He was right not to like me," said Mozzie. "Because I didn't like him. And I still don't. Why on earth did you need me to get these out, anyway?"

"Because… because he's here. In New York," Neal answered. "He works for the FBI, Mozz. The BAU. Peter and I are working with on this case with his team."

"He's _here_?" Mozzie gasped. "Neal, you need to tell him that you don't want to see him, okay?"

Neal was saved from answering Mozzie by a knock on his door. "It's too late, Mozzie. He's already here to talk to me." Ignoring Mozzie's protests, Neal got up and opened the door, revealing the nervous, young male standing there, his hands twitching at his collar, trying to smooth out imaginary wrinkles. "Hello, Spencer," he whispered.

"Hey, Neal," Reid said equally quietly, still not quite meeting the other man's eyes, "Thanks for leaving me your address." He held up the slip of paper he held between two fingers, which Neal had written his details on.

Neal couldn't help but grin. "I was kinda hoping you find that," he said. "Come in."

Neal stepped aside to let Reid into the room, the agent casting a guarded, cautious look at Mozzie. "Hello, Mozzie," he said.

"Reid," said Mozzie, rising to his feet and glaring angrily. He was a lot shorter than Reid, but he was angry, and Reid knew what he was capable of. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm in New York on a case," Reid replied. "Working with Neal and Agent Burke. But going with the safer assumption that you mean what am I doing _here_, in Neal's place, I'm here to talk."

"You don't need to talk to him," Mozzie protested. "You don't have that right. You lost that right years ago."

"_Mozzie_," Neal said warningly.

"What?" said Mozzie. "Neal, he just walked away-"

"Get out, Mozz," said Neal, cutting the older man off. "I can't do this with you here. It's between him and me."

"Neal-"

"_Now_, Mozz," said Neal, pointing to the door. "I'll call you later, okay?"

Mozzie opened his mouth to speak, but after a few moments he closed it again. He knew he wasn't going to be able to argue with the ex-con. "Fine. I can see I'm not going to win here. I'll see you later, Neal." He huffed and with that he left the room, without so much as a backwards glance at the two men still standing awkwardly by the doorway.

Both Neal and Reid fell into a strange kind of silence as soon as Mozzie had left the room. Both of them had so much on their minds and hearts, but they had no idea how to say it. Neither of them had ever expected this to happen, so they had no idea what to do about it. There was nothing broken, per se, but there was definitely something to be fixed, and neither man knew quite how to do that.

Neal, while not knowing what he wanted to say, knew he wasn't ready for Reid to see the letters just yet, so he crossed the room again and closed the box so Reid couldn't see inside.

They were both still silent, for the longest of moments. Finally, after it seemed that neither of them would ever talk, Neal opened his mouth. "I missed you," he whispered, not able to make eye contact with Reid, who was still fidgeting in the entrance way, afraid of what he would see there.

"I missed you too," Reid admitted. "But Neal, I- I couldn't see you or talk to you. You know I couldn't. Especially since you were with Kate."

Neal didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent, still refusing to make eye contact with Reid. He rested a hand on the mahogany box, almost as if he was trying to draw strength from the letters inside. Letters written by Reid's very own hand.

It was Reid who broke the silence this time. "I saw that Kate… that she was killed," he said tentatively. "I'm really sorry about that, Neal. Really."

"Thanks." Neal removed his hand from the box and finally looked up at Reid, fixing him with a gaze that threatened to betray how he really felt. "You know, I only got with her in the first place because we ended," he said, revealing what Reid had always suspects but had never actually asked. "If that hadn't have happened, I would never have been with Kate. And then who knows... things could have been different now."

Reid was struggling to maintain eye contact with Neal. He had pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind for years, but now that he was actually talking to Neal in person for the first time in years, the thoughts were coming to the fore again. He wished things had been different between him and Neal. Oh, how he wished for that to be true. But it wasn't.

Remembering the day everything had fallen apart wasn't easy for Reid, especially with his eidetic memory allowing him to remember every single detail. "I really, really wish we hadn't ended, Neal," said Reid plaintively. "Please, you have to know that's the truth. "It's just that… we were from two different worlds. We were two completely different people. You flouted and broke the law, and I-" He broke off, looking down at his shoes, "I upheld it."

"You always knew that about me, Spencer!" Neal exclaimed, getting angry now. "You always knew that I went against the law, from the day we first met! That didn't stop you!"

"We can't always choose how we feel, Neal," said Reid softly, hurt and guilt evident in his voice. He was feeling very emotional, something he had never dealt with well and found hard to understand, even in himself. He normally wasn't an emotional man but Neal had always brought that quality out in him. He had smiled, laughed and cried more in the years he spent with the man in front of him, than he had in the rest of the time since he'd been born and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dislike the man because of it.

"Well, you certainly seemed to have stopped, Spence!" Neal yelled. "You're acting like I never mattered to you! You're acting like you never left a great big damn hole in my heart when you walked away! Have you completely switched off your feelings now and completely forgotten anything you ever felt towards me? I'm nothing to you now am I? I'm just a regretted criminal mistake from your misguided youth." He chuckled hollowly and Reid winced at the self-deprecating tone in his voice.

"No! That's not true, Neal," Reid insisted, but at the same time he could sense that he wouldn't be able to convince the other man that easily. At least, not yet. "And you know I can never actually forget," he added, tapping a finger to the side of his head. "I've never forgotten."

"Whatever," said Neal dismissively. "If you try hard enough anything can be forgotten, even in your messed up brain."

"Now's probably not the right time to talk about this," said Reid quietly, ignoring the insults being thrown his way. The other man was clearly not coping with Reid's reappearance in his life and their past issues were yet to fully resurface, so the genius was willing to let them go for now. "We haven't had any time to let this sink in. We need time to think. We need to focus on this case." He sighed, moving towards the door. He already had his hand on the doorknob before he turned around to face Neal again. "We need to learn to work together on this case, Neal, just as two guys who don't have a history. We can't let our past get in the way of solving this case. Not when people's lives are at stake. I can't have that on my conscience and I'm sure you don't want that either." He paused, but it became obvious that Neal wasn't going to reply. "I'll see you in the morning," said Reid, leaving the room and closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Neal just stood there for a long while after Reid left, unable to bring himself to move. But suddenly, without even thinking, he slammed his fist down on the table, hard, the pain not even registering despite the loud crack one of his knuckles made against the hard wood. Seeing Reid again, in close quarters was different than on the case. Then they were working, there were other people around and plenty of distraction. But here, here he was all alone with nothing to mask the feelings with. The emotions were stronger than he had thought they would be when he had slipped Reid his card. He had truly believed that he was over their past experiences, or as over it as he could be. But seeing him, here, had left him with so many emotions, he had no idea how to deal with them. Anger, bitterness, regret, longing… and other stronger emotions that Neal refused to name, lest he ignore everything else he was thinking and feeling and allowed himself to sink into them completely.

_We're going to have to deal with this at some stage_, Neal thought to himself._ But I have no idea what to do_.

* * *

><p>It wasn't often that Peter went against Elizabeth's advice. Nine times out of ten, whenever Elizabeth gave him advice, Peter used it. But not this time. He was worried about Neal- even more so than usual. He had been acting very strangely ever since he'd heard that the BAU was coming to help them on this case. Some of the time he was his usual, charming self, but other times he was broody and he didn't pay attention to anything that was going on around him. That was not like him at all. The snarky con always had something to say and some snappy comment to make, usually insulting. Yet recently, since the start of this case in fact, those had been notably absent on several occasions, despite Neal's physical presence in the room.<p>

So Peter had driven out to Neal's place late that night, intending to talk to him and ask him what was going on. He was worried about Neal, more than he'd ever admit to anyone (especially the man himself). And he needed Neal's head in the game right now; he truly needed Neal to help him and the BAU solve one of the toughest cases he had ever come across. Only he had a personal insight into the mind of a con artist.

As Peter opened his car door and went to get out, however, he saw a young man leaving the building and climbing into his FBI-issued SUV. He recognised the man almost instantly: it was Dr Reid, the agent from the BAU that seemed to have some issues with Neal's presence, and vice versa.

Peter closed the door to his own car as Dr Reid drove off, heading back towards his team's hotel. Something was definitely going on, that was for sure. Peter had no idea what, though; there was no record indicating that Neal had ever met Reid before. And Peter would know, considering he'd seen or collected all the information the FBI had on Neal personally- it was his own life that would be affected if anything went wrong with the man's placement, so he sure as hell wasn't trusting anyone else to do it.

Making a mental note to ask someone in the morning what the hell was going on, Peter drove away from Neal's place and headed for home again deciding that tonight was not a good time to pay a visit. His mind wasn't sharp enough to not make a blunder, right now, and that would almost certainly just make the situation worse and result in Neal closing up on him completely.

As Peter drove, he had a lot on his mind. But none of it had to do with the case. It was all Neal, and wondering what on earth was going on with the con man that distracted him like nothing else had before.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So did you like that chapter? Are you intrigued by what has/will happen between Reid and Neal? There is definitely some crazy history between those two, believe you me- and some issues they definitely have to sort out. Reviews anyone? They make me smile! :)**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "It's too short, make it longer?" I love that question, I get free reign then. Can you spot any of my lines? ;P"**


	5. We're Worried About You

**A/N: Do you know how hard it is to write when it is ridiculously hot, and since your room is at the lowest point in the house it's the hottest, therefore it's like a freaking sauna? It makes it hard to concentrate, I can tell you. (For those who don't know, I live in Australia, so it's Summer here, and it's very hot.) Nevertheless, here's the next chapter of my crossover!**

**Oh, and just so you guys know,** unfortunately, this chapter and probably most of the ones following it will be unbeta-ed, as Diamond Cobra left last Friday on a six-week trip around Europe. She will beta it when she returns and fix errors that there may be, so I apologise if there are any errors!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar, or any of their characters.****

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Five: We're Worried About You<em>

* * *

><p>Peter's mind was still on Neal when he headed to work the next morning. He was worried about the man, more than he'd ever thought he would be. Neal was definitely not himself at the moment. This had become even more apparent when Neal arrived at work that morning, when he'd walked in with heavy emotions evident in his eyes; emotions he had only ever seen in Neal after Kate had died.<p>

Before he had gone to bed that night, and on his way to work that morning, Peter had been thinking about seeing Dr Reid leave Neal's apartment, and trying to figure out why on earth he was there. And every possibility that passed through his mind was a bad one. Whatever was going on with Neal, it couldn't be good; it never was.

As soon as he saw Agent Hotchner walk into the building, Peter made a beeline straight for him. "Agent Hotchner? Can I talk to you for a minute, in my office?" he asked.

Looking slightly confused and concerned, Hotch nodded. "Of course," he said, and followed Peter into the office. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I drove out to Neal Caffrey's place last night," Peter began. "He's been acting rather strange lately, even for him. In fact, it started after he found out you and your team were coming. I was going to go and see Caffrey, but just as I was about to get out of my car, I saw your Dr Reid leaving the building and driving away."

Hotch raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't aware that Reid and Caffrey knew each other," he said.

"Neither was I," Peter admitted. "And believe me, I know more than I care to admit about Neal Caffrey."

"What's the problem, then?" Hotch asked.

Peter stared at Hotch, as if he couldn't believe that Hotch couldn't see what was wrong. "Caffrey's having secret meetings with someone; namely, your agent," he pointed out. "And Caffrey doing anything secret is never good."

"Agent Burke, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about," Hotch promised. "Dr Reid is the last person to do _anything_ illegal. He would never be able to break the law; it's who he is, and this job means too much to him for him to jeopardise it in any way."

"Are you sure?" said Peter.

"Positive," said Hotch. "Reid is not about to break the law with Neal Caffrey. But thank you for letting me know about seeing Reid leave Caffrey's place last night."

"Are you going to talk to him about it?" Peter asked.

"I'm going to try," said Hotch. "But Reid doesn't have to tell me if he doesn't want to. And he's not going to tell me until he's ready."

Peter nodded and Hotch left the room, his mind for now stuck on thoughts of his youngest agent. He had to admit, he was curious. Why on earth had Reid been meeting Caffrey?

It didn't take long for Reid to arrive at the White Collar Division that morning; he was early more often than he was on time, and he was hardly ever late. He walked in looking down at his feet, though, and wringing his hands, like he always did when he was preoccupied. "Reid? Can I talk to you for a minute, please?" Hotch asked. "In here?"

"Uh, yeah, sure Hotch," said Reid, confused, and he followed Hotch a little way away from the others, into an empty office. "What's wrong?"

"Agent Burke drove out to see Neal Caffrey last night, but what he did see was _you_ leaving Caffrey's place," said Hotch. "Do you want to tell me why you were there?"

Reid face had gone white. _Agent Burke _saw_ me, and he told Hotch? This isn't good…_ His team couldn't know about his history with Neal. Reid knew that they wouldn't trust him properly after that. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out the best way to answer. "I… I used to know Caffrey, long ago," Reid finally answered. "Before he got arrested; before he was on the FBI's radar. I haven't seen him in years, Hotch. I just wanted to talk to him, make sure he was okay with us working together. That's all."

One look at Hotch's face told Reid that he knew there was more to the story. Reid knew that it would've been stupid to think otherwise; Hotch was a highly skilled profiler, and Reid himself wasn't all that hard to read. He had never really expected Hotch to believe his dismissive explanation; he just prayed that Hotch would let it go, and decide that working on the case was more important for now.

Eventually, Hotch's hard expression relented, and Reid let out a sigh of relief. He was in the clear. For now. "Okay, Reid. We'll get back to work, then," said Hotch. "Are you sure this isn't going to get in the way of this case?"

"Positive, Hotch," Reid assured him. "I've worked through a lot; I can definitely work through this."

"Good, then." Hotch gave Reid one last, probing look before leaving the office. A few seconds later, after taking a few moments to gather himself, Reid followed. Hotch had disappeared; probably back into the room where the evidence boards were set up, to continue working. There was somebody waiting for Reid, though. Morgan, who hadn't been there when Reid arrived and whom Reid hadn't been expecting, was casually leaning against a wall, an easy grin on his face.

"Hey there, kid," he said. "I saw you in here talking to Hotch, and thought I'd wait for you."

"Oh, uh, thanks Morgan," said Reid slowly.

"What were you talking to him about, anyway? Is something wrong?" Morgan asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," said Reid dismissively, refusing to make eye contact with Morgan. "It was just about the case, that's all."

"Uh huh," said Morgan, clearly not accepting Reid's throwaway answers. He was even more persistent in trying to get something out of Reid than Hotch was. "Kid, remember who you're talking to here." Morgan must have seen something in Reid's expression, because his face suddenly lit up in understanding. "Ohhh, this has to do with _Caffrey_, doesn't it?"

"It's nothing, Morgan," said Reid, trying to brush the older man off. But Morgan was as relentless as he always was, and he didn't let Reid go. If anything, Reid's brush-off had just spurred him on.

"Oh hoh! This is about when Caffrey stole your wallet!" Morgan concluded, a smirk on his face. "You still miffed he managed to pull one over you, huh genius? Betcha thought no one could ever get you, especially given how good you are at magic."

"Morgan, can you just give it a rest?" Reid exclaimed angrily. The other agent was shocked; he'd never seen Reid get mad like this before. It certainly wasn't the reaction that Morgan was expecting.

Morgan studied the young genius, concerned. "Hey, Reid, are you okay?" he asked. "I didn't mean to get you angry or anything…"

"I just have a lot on my mind, Morgan," Reid replied, stalking off without another word, Morgan watching him go with his mouth almost hanging open.

As soon as Reid was out of anyone's earshot, he pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Speak to me," said a female voice on the other end.

"Hey, Garcia, it's Reid," said Reid softly.

"My junior G-man, why would you be calling me?" Garcia asked. "Not that I'm not as happy as I always am to hear from you, of course."

"I've got- well, kind of a favour to ask of you, Garcia," Reid said.

Garcia was silent for a while- Reid could tell that this was because her interest was piqued. "Of course, Reid," she said finally, gently. "What do you need?"

"In my apartment, there is a locked box in the very back of my wardrobe," Reid explained. "I… I need you to send it to me here, in New York."

"Of course," Garcia said again, a little confused. "May I ask what's inside?"

Reid bit his lip to prevent himself from retaliating; he may have already snapped at Morgan, but he didn't want to snap at Garcia. She was doing him a huge favour, and she was being nothing but nice while doing it. "It's kind of personal, Garcia," he said finally. "Can you just send it to me? Please?"

"Okay," Garcia replied. "I'll send the box to you, and I promise you I won't look inside."

"Thanks, Garcia," said Reid sincerely.

"No problem, boy wonder," said Garcia. "It will be there as soon as I can get it to you." And with that Garcia hung up the phone, leaving Reid in silence.

Reid just stood there for a long while after Garcia had hung up, lost in his own thoughts. He still had no idea what to do about Neal, but he hoped that the box would help him make up his mind.

Finally gathering his thoughts, Reid headed back into the meeting room where all the evidence boards were set up, where the team were almost ready to deliver the profile. Morgan looked over at Reid when he entered the room, a look of concern etched on the older man's face. Reid refused to make eye contact with Morgan; but whether it was out of lingering anger or of guilt for his outburst, neither man knew.

As the team gave the profile, Reid kept casting furtive glances over at Neal. Neal, however, would not look at Reid, even when he was the one speaking. He would look at the others, yes, and ask them questions about the profile, but he wouldn't engage Reid at all.

After the briefing, as the agents were moving around the room, working on various tasks, Peter moved to Neal's side. "Neal, what's going on?" Peter asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Neal, looking away from Peter.

"Come on, Neal, I saw Dr Reid leaving your place last night!" Peter hissed.

"It's nothing, Peter," Neal said in a low whisper. "Seriously, you don't have anything to worry about. And either way, it's none of your business." And with that rebuttal, Neal crossed to the other side of the room, leaving Peter in shock.

As soon as Morgan noticed that Hotch was alone, without anyone in earshot, he walked over to his Unit Chief. "Hotch," he said, gaining the older man's attention.

"What is it, Morgan?" Hotch asked, sensing that what Morgan wanted to talk about didn't have to do with the case.

"Hotch, it's- well, I'm worried about Reid," Morgan admitted. "He's being secretive, and he's ignoring everyone, and he's getting angry all the time. He _snapped_ at me before, Hotch. Reid _never_ does that. And I _know_ he's not back on drugs, but the last time he was acting like this- well, that's what it was. Which is why I think that whatever's going on with him, it isn't good. I'm really worried, man."

Hotch sighed. "I'm worried about him too, Morgan," he said. "But this is Reid we're talking about. Even if we ask him about what's going on, he isn't going to tell us. In fact, I already asked him when he arrived. He gave me an explanation, but it wasn't the whole story. He's not going to explain what's going on until he's ready."

"Has this got to do with Caffrey?" Morgan asked, nodding towards where Neal was talking to Rossi and Agent Jones.

"Yes," said Hotch after a moment's hesitation. "Reid said that he used to know Caffrey a long time ago, before he got arrested."

"You don't think he feels guilty for not trying to stop Caffrey, do you?"

"I don't know," said Hotch. "But he's just going to baulk if we confront him directly about it. Just keep an eye on him, okay?"

Morgan nodded and Hotch walked away, both of them trying to get their minds on the case.

One person who didn't have his mind on the case, though, was Reid. While Morgan and Hotch were talking, Reid had been watching Neal, his mind filled with one emotion: regret. _I'm sorry, Neal_, he said silently. _I am so, so sorry_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Unfortunately, no interaction between Reid and Neal in this chapter, but I felt that the team needed to be brought into the story more. I mean, they are profilers- they were always going to notice that something was going on with Reid. And Peter- well, he always worries about Neal. There probably won't be much interaction between the two in the next chapter either, but I am going to delve into their past more, as well as into Reid's side of this whole situation.**

**So, any chance of a review, anyone? You have no idea how much they make me smile, especially on a day like today! :)**


	6. All I Can Think About

**A/N: So sorry this chapter took so long, guys! I just got my final results for school, so I've been a bit stressed out over that. And since Christmas is this weekend, I've been working A LOT. But I've finally finished this chapter! This one gets kinda angsty, just to let you know. And fret not- things are really going to heat up in the next chapter!**

**Oh, and just to let you guys know, the bit towards the end of the chapter that's entirely in italic is a flashback.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar, or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Six: All I Can Think About<em>

* * *

><p>Neal sighed, leaning forwards and resting his head on his arms. "This whole thing is harder than I thought it would be, Mozz," he admitted. He closed his eyes, trying to relax.<p>

"You want to tell me exactly what's going on?" Mozzie asked.

"Not particularly," Neal replied. He cracked his eyes open an inch, and saw Mozzie staring at him, wearing a look that said he wasn't going to back down. Neal sighed again, sitting up properly. "Fine."

"He said that he missed me, and that he was sorry about Kate's death," Neal began. "But then he said that he wished we hadn't ended, but we were from two completely different worlds."

"Well, he's not wrong about that, Neal," said Mozzie. "You _were_ from two completely different worlds. "You were always a troublemaker, even as a kid. And Reid always followed the rules."

"That's true," said Neal. "We were. But that's not the point. The point is, we knew that about each other when we first met. If that was too hard for him, he should've left then and there. And then he goes and says 'we can't always choose how we feel'… ha! Yeah, right, he's obviously turned off whatever feelings he ever had for me!"

Mozzie remained silent for a while, just listening to Neal; it was obvious that the man needed to vent. When he was certain that Neal had finished, Mozzie opened his mouth and said, "You need to forget about him, Neal. He did nothing but mess you up. He's no good for you; he never has been, and he never will be. You need to tell him that you're over it and he needs to leave you alone, and then you need to move on."

"How can you say that about him?" Neal asked, and Mozzie was surprised at the anger that was obviously directed towards him. "You barely knew him, even when we were together! And he didn't just 'mess me up'. I can definitely say that I would not be the same person I am today without him. Spencer is the best, kindest man I have ever met."

"Neal, I-"

You have _absolutely no right_ to say _anything_ bad about him," Neal interrupted. "He does _not_ deserve that."

Mozzie had no idea what to do. Neal's outburst was the _last_ thing he had expected. "Neal, do you want to talk about it?" he asked slowly.

"Not really," said Neal. "Can you just… can you just leave me to think? Please?"

Mozzie nodded. "Of course," he said. "I'll see you later then, Neal." He got up and left Neal's place, leaving Neal sitting alone at the table.

Neal buried his head in his hands, groaning loudly. His outburst was just as unexpected by him as it was by Mozzie. He'd always thought that he was over Reid; he thought that his long-term relationship with Kate proved that. But the way he'd been feeling and acting since Reid and his team had arrived in New York… Neal was beginning to realise that the opposite was true. He wasn't over Reid; he never had been. And he suspected, unless he and Reid found some way to figure everything out, that he never would be.

"You are much more difficult to forget about than I ever gave you credit for, Spencer," Neal whispered to himself. He and Reid needed to work things out properly; Neal knew that for sure. What he didn't know, though, was what on earth he was going to do about it. For the first time in his life, he had absolutely no idea what to do. Spencer had been the biggest part of his life. Whatever Neal was going to do, he couldn't make the decision hastily.

_So what on earth do I do_? Neal asked himself. _I can't just cut you out of my life without a second thought, but I can't just let you right back in, either._

No, what Neal needed to do right now was think. Or at least do something that would take his mind off things for a while. He looked across the room, his eyes settling on his book of famous paintings. Painting always calmed him down and cleared his mind, making him happy. It was the only thing that could keep him level-headed and help him forget about Reid right now. So painting was what he did.

* * *

><p>For the next few days, Reid and Neal didn't even talk. Sure, they both talked to other members of both the BAU and the White Collar Unit, but they never talked to each other. They both worked, often in the same room- in fact, they both worked harder than they ever had before. This wasn't so unusual for Reid; he was always a very hard worker, and while the team (especially Morgan and Hotch) was still worried about him, their fears were assuaged by the fact that that he was managing to work to his full ability without letting anything get in his way.<p>

It was weird for Neal, though. While he did normally work very well, he was normally making snide comments or flirting with women as he did so. Now, however, he was working studiously and quietly, something nobody could remember him doing before. It was obvious to everyone around him that something was weighing heavily on Neal's mind. And while everybody had their own suspicions, nobody but Reid and Neal himself knew what was really going on. Peter especially was worried about Neal. While he found Neal's constant commenting and behaviour around women annoying, he never would've thought he'd miss it. Neal just wasn't the same.

"Dr Reid?" an agent said, coming into the room.

"Yes?" Reid said, looking up from the geographical profile in front of him.

"This package arrived for you this morning, from Quantico," the agent informed him, handing the package to Reid.

Reid knew instantly what the package was: it was the box he'd asked Garcia to send to him. He hadn't even looked upon the box in a very long time, but ever since he'd talked to Garcia, he'd almost been yearning for it. "Thanks," he said, and the agent left.

Everybody else looked at Reid curiously. "What's that, Spence?" JJ asked.

"It's… it's nothing," Reid said hastily. "It's just- well, we don't know how long we're going to be here in New York, so… I just got Garcia to send it to me, just in case. It's just something personal. It's not that important."

Reid's evasive explanation did nothing to reduce everyone's curiosity, but his team knew him well enough to know not to ask him any more questions. He was never one to divulge personal information if he really didn't want to, so asking him about it wouldn't make any difference. And Peter and the White Collar team didn't know Reid well enough to ask without feeling invasive.

Neal, however, felt rather differently about Reid's mysterious package. His own curiosity had piqued the moment the agent had walked into the room and handed the package to Reid. He knew it had to be something important, otherwise Reid wouldn't have bothered asking the technical analyst woman to send it to him- he would've waited until he got back to Quantico. And Reid's attempt at an explanation only served to make Neal more suspicious. Something personal, Reid had said. Could it be…? No. There was no way Reid's mysterious gift had _anything_ to do with him.

Eventually, everyone's attention drifted away from Reid, and agents from both teams went back to work. They all moved to their various tasks, some of them going out into the field, and it wasn't long until Reid was left alone doing the geographical profile.

As soon as Reid was sure that nobody was coming, Reid pulled out the package from where he had stashed it under the table. He pulled off the paper it had been sent in, exposing the old, worn wooden box inside.

Reid's hands were shaking as he set the box on the table. There was a very big reason why he hadn't looked at it in years: he wasn't sure he could face all the emotions, both good and bad, it would drag up. But now he didn't have a choice- he had to do this.

Reid opened the lid on the box- its hinges creaking as he did so- revealing the many pieces of paper inside. The papers had gone slightly yellow with age, and were very creased from being read so often. Every single piece of paper contained a letter, all written by the same person's own hand- Neal's. The box contained all the letters Neal had written to Reid over the years, before Neal had been arrested and Reid had broken off contact. One of the letters hadn't been written by Neal, though. It had been written by Reid himself in a moment of extreme weakness, and had never been sent. Dimly, Reid wondered what would have happened if he _had_ sent the letter.

Reid sighed, picking up one of the letters in his hands. Him and Neal had been _so, so close_… Reid had never realised exactly how much he'd missed having Neal in his life until he saw him again. More so than ever before, Reid regretted ever ending things with Neal. Neal was… he was unlike anyone Reid had ever met. He had been Reid's best friend, the one who'd managed to help him through the horrible things in his childhood. And, something that was perhaps even closer to Reid's own heart, he had been the one who had taught Reid magic.

Reid was unable to help the small smile that crossed his face, and he closed his eyes as he remembered the first magic trick Neal had ever showed him. He had been ten years old at the time. It hadn't been very long at all after his dad left, and Neal had been trying to cheer him up.

"_Watcha just sitting there on the ground for, smart boy?" Neal said with a grin, sitting down on the curb outside Spencer's house beside the young genius._

"_I'm more than just smart. I'm in my second-last year of high school, and I'm only eleven," Spencer said, but he was looking down at the ground as he did so. He didn't look up at Neal, not even a tiny glance._

"_I know you are, Spencer," said Neal. "I also know there's something wrong. You don't just sit there on the ground like that, looking so sad, for no reason. 'Specially you."_

_Spencer looked up at Neal for the first time since his friend had arrived. Neal finally managed to get a proper look at his best friend's face. He may have only been a kid himself, but what he saw there was enough to break his heart. Neal had never seen anyone so _sad_ before. Spencer looked like he was about to start crying at any moment._

_Neal reached out and took the other boy's hand. Spencer tried to pull it away, but Neal wouldn't let go. "Spencer," he said softly. "We're friends, right?" The nod Spencer gave him in return was slow and small, but immediate. "Well, friends tell each other why they're sad. And you look very sad."_

"_I am," Spencer murmured. Tears were glistening in his eyes now, threatening to spill over. Spencer used the back of his free hand to scrub at them furiously, not wanting them to fall. He didn't want to cry in front of Neal, and have his friend think he was a cry baby. "My dad's gone."_

"_He has?" Neal had never been close with his own father, but he knew the things that were going on in Spencer's life. If any boy needed his dad, it was him. "Why?" Neal asked. He was curious, but he also couldn't help but feel sad for Spencer._

"_He- he said it was b-because he couldn't handle m-m-my mum's illness anymore," Spencer stammered, his voice catching in his throat. "But I kn-know he's lying."_

"_I'm sure he was telling the truth, Spencer," Neal said, trying to calm the boy down._

"_No, he w-wasn't," Spencer protested. "I kn-know why he r-really left. He l-l-left because of me. If I w-was n-normal, he w-would never have l-l-left me or m-mum."_

"_Spencer, that's not true," Neal said. "Remember what I said? Normal is boring. Your dad is just a scaredy cat, and he's silly for leaving you. "Besides, you've still got me."_

_Spencer gave Neal a small smile, but his eyes still looked sad. "Hey, I know what will cheer you up!" he exclaimed suddenly. He released Spencer's hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver coin. "Watch this." He showed Spencer the coin in between two fingers, and then flipped his hand closed. When he opened it, the coin was sitting on his palm._

_Spencer's eyes were wide with amazement. "Wow," he gasped. "How did you do that?"_

_Neal laughed. "I've got another one for ya. Look." And the coin was gone from his hand._

"_Where's it gone?" Spencer asked._

"_Look behind your ear," Neal suggested. Spencer reached up and, sure enough, the coin was tucked behind his ear._

_A genuine smile spread across Spencer's face. "That's so cool!" he exclaimed. "Can you teach me?"_

"_Of course I can," said Neal. "But you have to promise me that you won't be sad anymore. You should be happy you're not normal. Normal's boring. I'm definitely not normal."_

"_No you're not," Spencer agreed. "No you're not."_

"Kid?" said a voice, pulling Reid out of his memory. Reid opened his eyes and looked up, to see Morgan standing in the doorway watching him cautiously.

"It's time to go," Morgan said. "Back to the hotel for the night."

"Okay," said Reid. He gathered up his stuff and walked over to Morgan.

"Hey, Reid, are we good?" Morgan asked tentatively. "I didn't mean to annoy you the other day. I was just worried about you, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," said Reid. "We're good, Morgan. Don't worry."

As the two agents walked towards the car, Reid continued to think. Morgan would've said there were a billion thoughts flying through his brain, but really there was only one thing on Reid's mind: Neal Caffrey.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there's the chapter guys! Reid and Neal have definitely done a lot of thinking about their situation- I think things are going to come to a head in the next chapter! :P And what did you think about the insight into Reid and Neal's long ago past, during Reid's flashback. Be sure to send me a review and let me know. I love receiving them; they're like mini Christmas presents! :P**


	7. I'm Sorry

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, guys! Sorry this took so long, but, well, Christmas got in the way! :P Nevertheless, here it is! And let me just say, things definitely move along in this chapter. Guess you'll just have to read the chapter to see what I mean!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Seven: I'm Sorry<span>_

* * *

><p>It had been a very long day, as every day had been since their case had begun. They had read through file after file after file of information on the UnSub's victims, trying to look for that <em>one<em> little piece of information that could break the case wide open and find their man. But they hadn't been able to find anything.

And then he'd killed again.

It had been a man this time, only a few years older than their first victim, Sally Weston. Adam Cambridge had been stabbed exactly like Weston had been, except his strength meant he had put up more of a fight. Even with the added information from Cambridge's death, though, they still had nothing.

Neal was beginning to think that they would never catch this man. The BAU team were still confident that the UnSub would be caught, but Neal could see that that confidence was beginning to wane. He really wanted this case to end. He was _tired_- both physically and emotionally. He just wanted this, all of this, to be over and done with. He just wanted to rest.

Neal arrived home to find that June was nowhere to be seen. This wasn't unusual; sometimes she waited up for him to arrive home and to make him dinner, but if Neal were working too late she would already be in bed. When Neal entered his own area of the house, however, he could see someone sitting in the darkness on his couch. "June?" Neal said cautiously, peering into the darkness.

Suddenly a lamp in the room turned on, and Neal could see who his visitor was. "Hello, Neal," Reid said softly.

"Spencer?" Neal said, shocked and slightly angry. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"We need to talk, Neal," said Reid, rising to his feet and standing in front of Neal. "I… I can't stop thinking about it, Neal. Our past. When we were kids, and we were best friends. When we got older, and we became so much more to each other… We really need to talk about this."

"Talk about _what_?" Neal spat, venom in his voice. "You moved _on_, Reid!" Reid noticed the use of his last name, and knew that convincing Neal that he _hadn't_ moved on would be no easy task.

Reid reached behind him, to where he had placed something on the table. He picked up the box, handing it to Neal. "Open it," he said.

Neal flipped upon the box furiously, but what he saw inside made his eyes grow wide. "You… you kept them?" he gasped, all traces of anger gone from his voice. "All the letters I wrote you? You kept them all?" He looked up at Reid, shock evident in his face.

Reid nodded. "I couldn't throw them out," he said. "No way. Not when you meant so much to me. Not when you still _mean_ so much to me."

"But you never wrote to me again," Neal pointed out. "After I got arrested, you never contacted me. Not once."

"How could I, Neal?" said Reid gently, careful not to say anything to get Neal angry again. "I'm an FBI agent, in one of the Bureau's best units. You're a convicted forger. If I had contacted you, people would've found out, and… Neal, I don't mean to sound insensitive, but it could've destroyed my career, and I probably would've hated you for that. If I had written to you, people would've asked questions that neither of us wanted to be answered."

Neal opened his mouth to respond to what Reid had said, but before he could say anything, Reid pulled something out of his pocket. It was a piece of paper: another letter. It wasn't as old as all the other ones, and it was far less crumpled as well. "Read it," Reid told him.

Neal did as Reid bade him, opening the letter. Neal's eyes grew even wider, and he couldn't help his mouth falling open. It was a letter written by Reid… to him. "When… when did you write this?" Neal asked.

"Just read it," Reid implored again. "Please."

_Neal_, the letter began.

_I know it's been years since we ever had contact, but Neal… I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I don't know if I can do __this__ anymore- this job. I was kidnapped a few weeks ago, Neal, by a man with multiple personalities. He was himself, his father, and the archangel Raphael, all at the same time. He kept me in a cabin, and he drugged and tortured me for two days. He almost killed me. No, he __did__ kill me. I died, and the original personality brought me back, but- Neal, sometimes I wish he hadn't._

_This has completely messed me up. I can't focus, I can barely do my job, I keep having flashbacks, when I look at the crime scene photos of the dead bodies, my kidnapping is all I can think of… and I'm addicted to drugs. Dilaudid, the same drugs that I was given it that cabin. I can't stop taking it, Neal. I keep trying, but I can't. I __need__ it, Neal. It helps me to forget about everything that happened to me in that cabin, and you know how normally I cannot forget. I know I should stop, but I can't bring myself to do it._

_I think my team knows, Neal. They never say anything, but they know. They keep an eye on me, but they never directly confront me about it. They know that wouldn't work with me. But I need someone, Neal. I need __you__. I need you to hold me, to tell me that I don't need the drugs, to tell me that I'm going to be okay._

_I need you, Neal, now more than ever. I still love you. I've never stopped, and I don't think I ever will._

_Spencer Reid._

Neal looked up at Reid after he had finished reading, unable to say anything. Reid had almost written to him… Forget that, what Reid had described in the letter, what he had been through- Neal didn't know how he could be angry with Reid anymore.

"I can't believe I wasn't there for you," Neal finally said.

"Neal, it wasn't your fault," Reid said instantly. "You were in jail, and I was the one who broke off contact, anyway. There was no way you could've known what I was going through."

"How long ago did this happen?" Neal asked.

"Nearly five years," Reid replied. "I'm better now. This doesn't affect me the way it used to."

"That doesn't change the fact that I wasn't there for you," said Neal. "Like I always was when we were kids."

Reid chuckled. "D'you remember the day we first met?" he asked.

"I know you do," Neal laughed. "But yes, I do remember. Your dad was at work, and you'd run away from home because your mother was having an episode and your dad wasn't picking up his phone."

"And I somehow ended up at the park, and you were there, sitting on the swing," said Reid. "You saw I'd been crying, so you came up to me and asked me what was wrong. And- I don't know, I couldn't help but explain everything to you. Well, as much as I could, anyway, I don't think I told you about my mother's schizophrenia then."

"It was my natural charm and charisma," said Neal with a dazzling smile. "I had it in spades, even then. But there was just something about you, Spencer… I didn't want to see you cry, even though we had just met. There was this- instant connection, or something."

"We were just two boys who felt lost, and really needed a friend," said Reid.

"And then we got older, and, well… things changed," Neal said lamely. "I didn't think anyone could mean so much to me."

"I'm so sorry I ended things the way I did, Neal," Reid said sincerely. "I was trying to change you, and that wasn't right. And then I just… walked away. And after you got arrested, I just never contacted you again. That just wasn't fair. You have no idea how much I regretted all of that, Neal. I- I never forgot how I felt, no matter what you may think. I- I love you. I don't think I ever stopped loving you. There have been so many times over the years that I've needed you, and you haven't been there, and that's- that's all my fault. I broke my own heart."

"It's not just your fault, Spence," Neal said, his voice almost cracking with emotion. "I knew who you were, exactly who you were- I knew you'd never go against the rules. And yet I flaunted my rule breaking in your face. I helped push you away."

Unable to stand it any more, Neal moved closer to Reid and put his arms around the genius, holding him close. "I'm so, so sorry," he whispered in Reid's ear. Reid rested his head on Neal's shoulder, putting his own arms around Neal. He'd really missed this: holding Neal, being in Neal's arms.

After a few long moments Reid pulled away from Neal, looking into the man's eyes. They just stared at each other for a while, neither of them speaking.

And then they were kissing.

Reid's lips were soft; just as soft as Neal remembered them being. They moved against Neal's, melding against them, like Reid remembered _exactly_ how to kiss Neal so as to please them both. Which he probably did, Neal realised- he did have an eidetic memory after all.

_God_, Reid had missed kissing Neal. Sure, he'd kissed other people since Neal: Lila Archer, Austin, and even other men… but nobody was like Neal. His kisses were sensual, loving… perfect.

Neal tangled one hand in Reid's short hair, resting the other one on the small of Reid's back to hold him close. Reid's own hands had slowly drifted up Neal's back, until they were on the back of his neck. It wasn't long until the kisses weren't soft anymore; they were hard, passionate, aggressive, heated… like Reid and Neal were trying to make up for lost time. They wanted each other, _so badly_. They yearned for this; they'd missed this.

Reid and Neal didn't break apart until Reid's cell phone started ringing loudly. Reid wanted to ignore it, but once glance at the caller ID told him it was Hotch. Reid sighed, extricating himself from Neal's arms. "It's my Unit Chief," he explained to the other man. "He wouldn't be calling unless it was important."

"Where does he think you are?" Neal asked. "I mean, aren't you supposed to be at the hotel, with your team?"

"Yeah," Reid replied. "I told them I was going to clear my head. Which, technically, I guess I was." Before Neal could say anything else, Reid answered his phone. "Yeah, Hotch."

"Reid, I know you're trying to clear your head, and I know it's late, but we've caught a major break in the case," Hotch said.

"You've found the UnSub?" Reid guessed, and Neal raised his eyebrows at Reid's words.

"No," said Hotch. "We've found his partner."

"So he _does_ have a partner," said Reid.

"Yeah," said Hotch. "We need you back at the White Collar Division, now."

"Okay," said Reid. He paused for a moment, thinking, before adding, "I can bring Neal Caffrey with me. He- I'm already at his place."

Reid could tell by Hotch's silence that he wanted to ask him about it. Hotch had known that something was up with Reid, and that that something involved Neal. And when Reid had told Hotch he was going to clear his head, he knew that Hotch had realised he wasn't tormented over anything to do with the case. But he didn't think Hotch had expected him to end up at Neal's _house_.

"Okay, you do that, Reid," Hotch said finally, and Reid almost sighed with relief. "We'll see you soon."

Reid hung up the phone, and it took him a while to realise that Neal was watching him. "What did he say?" Neal said.

"He said that they've found the UnSub's partner, and everyone's going back to the office," Reid answered. "He didn't say anything about me being here, though."

"I guess we should go, then," Neal sighed. Reid headed towards the door, but Neal called him back. "Wait!" he cried, hurrying forwards to press another kiss to Reid's lips. "Just one for the road," he said with a smile. "Now we can go."

Reid and Neal headed for Reid's SUV, neither of them talking, but both of them glancing at each other every few metres. It wasn't until they'd gotten into the SUV, and Reid had started the car, that he spoke again. "I have no idea what I'm going to tell my team," Reid admitted. "I mean, I'm going to have to tell them something. They've been watching me the entire time we've been on this case. They know something's up; especially Hotch and Morgan. I just don't know _what_ to tell them. I don't know whether to tell them about us."

"I have no idea what I'm going to tell Peter, either," Neal said as Reid drove. "I don't even know whether I'm going to tell him anything. He already knows every single detail about my life, except for you. I need some privacy, y'know?"

"Oh, trust me, I know," said Reid. "When you work with profilers, you just can't help but profile each other sometimes."

Their conversation was interrupted as Reid drove into the FBI parking lot. "We need to talk about this," Reid sighed, undoing his seatbelt and leaning back against his seat. "Damn, I wish we didn't have to go back to work right now…"

"Did Spencer Reid just curse at me?" said Neal with a grin. "But yeah, we do need to talk. Next chance we get, okay?"

"Okay," Reid agreed. "And I promise you, I do love you. No matter what we decide later, that won't change." He reached out and squeezed Neal's hand in his own, before both men got out of the car and walked towards the FBI building.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there you are- they've finally kissed! I guess the question is now, where do they go from here? :P Did you like the chapter? As always, please review and let me know!**

**Happy New Year, everyone! :)**


	8. Partner

**A/N: So I'm gathering from your reviews that people like the fact that Neal and Reid FINALLY kissed in the last chapter. :P Let me tell you, I was glad too, I thought I was never going to get there... but I did, and that means that I'm over halfway done with this story! Guess it's time to read on and see what happens next! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Eight: Partner<em>

* * *

><p>Reid and Neal walked into the conference room completely naturally, like Reid's visit to Neal's place had been casual, or even work-related. But the others all watched them as they walked in- both men had been acting strangely this entire case, and now they both seemed… normal. And there was something about the two of them- some sense that something had changed. But given that nobody knew the extent of what was going on, not one of them had an inkling about what had changed.<p>

"What's going on, Hotch?" Reid asked, sitting down in a chair beside JJ.

"You were right to be suspicious about Travis Palmer," Hotch informed him.

"The guy that works at the same marketing firm that Sally Weston did?" said Reid, looking for confirmation.

"Yes. He's the UnSub's partner," Hotch replied.

"Do we know who the UnSub is?"

"No, but we're hoping that Palmer's going to tell us that," said Hotch. "So we're going to go get him. He hasn't shown up at his office today, but we have reports that he is at his house. Reid and JJ, I need you two to stay behind and work with Garcia, and try and find as much information as you can on Palmer."

"Got it," said JJ, nodding.

"Neal, I need you to stay here, too," Peter added. "God knows what kind of trouble you could get into…"

Neal grinned. "I could distract Palmer with my charming wit," he said. When Peter glared at him, he added, "I'm kidding. Don't worry, I'm staying here. You know how much I hate guns anyway, Peter."

Peter nodded, relieved that Neal was putting up more of a fight, but knowing in the back of his mind that Neal would never have wanted to come too.

"I'm curious, though," Neal spoke up suddenly. "Why aren't you two going?" he indicated JJ and Reid as he spoke.

"Somebody has to stay behind," JJ said. "I nominated myself. And besides, I like working with Garcia."

"And I hurt my knee really badly a few years ago," said Reid. "I got shot trying to protect a man from a killer. I'm fine now, but it still plays up occasionally. So when we don't all need to go on a raid, I stay behind, especially if my knee hurts me a bit. Better to be safe and sorry."

"And Reid here is the master of all information. He already knows the most about this case, all the little facts, so it makes sense he'd be staying here and working on get more info from Garcia," Morgan added, reaching over and ruffling Reid's hair affectionately. Reid scowled, and Morgan smirked at him.

Neal couldn't help himself; he felt a slight twinge of jealousy when Agent Morgan messed up Reid's hair. He knew it was stupid- Morgan meant nothing by the gesture except friendship and brotherhood. And besides, he and Reid weren't even back together. Yet. Neal was happy when he found out both he and Reid were staying behind. It meant he got to spend more time with the man, and was the main reason why he wasn't putting up more of a fight with Peter.

By the time Neal had finished with his musings, the FBI agents had all strapped on their bullet-proof vests and were ready to go. "We'll call you as soon as we have anything," Hotch promised. They all left the room, leaving Neal, Reid and JJ alone.

JJ immediately bent down over the case file in front of her, intending to learn some more about Travis Palmer and the case before calling Garcia. Neal and Reid looked over the top of JJ's head, their eyes locking onto each other. They were both sincerely glad that they had both been asked to stay behind. The only problem was, they desperately wanted to talk- but they couldn't do that with JJ there.

JJ looked up from her case file and looked at Reid, raising the phone she held in her hand. Reid nodded, indicating that JJ should call Garcia. JJ pressed the speed dial button before putting her phone on speaker, setting it down on the table.

"Talk to me," Garcia said once she'd picked up on the other end.

"Hey, Garcia, you've got me, Reid and Neal Caffrey here," said JJ. "We need absolutely _everything_ you have on Travis Palmer."

"Is he our UnSub?" Garcia asked.

"No, but he is the UnSub's partner," Reid replied. "He worked with our first victim, Sally Weston. We talked to him the other day. The others have gone to pick him up. We need to know as much as possible before they get back."

"Okay." They could all hear Garcia furiously typing away. "Okay, here it is. Travis Palmer, thirty-five, who as you lovelies already know works at the same marketing firm where our first victim worked. He is… currently single, although he was in a long-term relationship with a girl that ended just over two months ago."

"Right before the con-artist moved to New York," Neal realised. "Maybe that's why he chose Palmer to work with."

"I'm going to assume that was Neal Caffrey talking, because otherwise I have no idea who that was," Garcia said.

Neal couldn't help but laugh. "You assume correctly, oh beautiful technical analyst woman whom I have never met before," he said. JJ and Reid had to shake their heads at Neal's words.

"Oh, he's exactly like Morgan described," said Garcia. "Anyway, it seems that for the most part, Palmer had a completely normal childhood. Grew up right where you guys are, in NYC, parents Monica and John Palmer died five and four years ago, respectively. He also had an older brother, Jacob."

"_Had_ an older brother?" Reid repeated. "Did something happen to him?"

"He died, in a car accident six months ago," Garcia informed them. "From everything I can see, Travis idolised Jacob. Travis paid for things for Jacob… he did everything his brother could ever want. I have photos of both of them when they were kids, which I just sent to your phones. It looks like Travis is trying to get as close to Jacob as he possibly can."

"The loss of his brother probably devastated him," JJ surmised. "We could use that to our advantage. Thanks Garcia."

"Good luck, my amigos!" Garcia said before hanging up.

"I'm going to go and print off some stuff, guys," JJ said, rising from her seat. "I'll be back in a few." JJ left the room, case file in hand, leaving Reid and Neal alone.

Reid, knowing full well that Neal was standing right next to him, but having no idea what to say to the man, rose from his seat as well. He crossed the room and picked up a marker, writing stuff on one of the whiteboards.

"Spencer," Neal whispered, right in Reid's ear. Reid turned around, looking to make sure JJ or anyone else wasn't about to walk into the room, before looking at Neal.

"We don't really have that much time to talk, Neal," Reid said in a hushed tone. "Or that much privacy."

"No, I know that," said Neal just as quietly. "I just wanted to talk about what we're going to do when we _do_ have the time to talk about… other things."

"We're going to have to wait until after we've caught the UnSub," Reid said. "It shouldn't be too hard to convince Hotch to give us a few more days here. I know the others want it."

"So, what will we do then?"

"We go back to your place," Reid suggested. "It's got the most privacy, and we stand the least chance of being interrupted there." He sighed, taking a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "My team is going to figure something out. That there's something going on between us. I mean, they are profilers. I don't think there's any chance that they _won't_ see anything."

"You know, you can tell them what's going on between us, or what _has_ happened between us, if you have to," said Neal. "Or even if you just want to. I don't mind. It's your decision, and they're the people that matter to you."

Before Reid could open his mouth to reply to Neal, JJ walked back into the room. "They're back," she said. "And they've got Palmer."

Only moments after JJ had finished speaking, the others all entered the room. Hotch entered a few minutes after the others, having taken Palmer down to the interrogation room. "Reid, I want you to interview Palmer," he said.

"Me?" said Reid, shocked. "Why me?"

"Because you've already talked to him," Hotch said. "And he relies on an alpha male, a dominant. He wouldn't listen to any of the rest of us. But he'd listen to you."

Reid nodded. "Alright." He followed Hotch and Morgan out of the conference room and down the corridor to interrogation. Neal took one look at Peter before the two of them followed.

The other four men stood at the window, watching and listening, as Reid entered the interrogation room, case file in hand. Palmer was sitting at the small table in the room, looking down at his feet and looking visibly nervous. He looked up at the sound of the door opening and closing, and a flash of recognition lit up his eyes as he saw Reid.

"You're that agent that came to my office the other day," Palmer said. "To talk about Sally. Agent… Reid, right?"

"It's doctor, actually," said Reid, sitting down opposite Palmer and setting the case file down on the table. "But yes, that was me."

"If you've already talked to me, then why am I here now?" Palmer asked. "I haven't done anything!"

"I think you have, Travis," said Reid calmly. Palmer protested, but Reid remained silent. Finally he said, "Was it hard on you, when your brother died?"

"What?" Palmer gasped. "What does any of this have to do with my brother?"

Reid didn't answer Palmer. "I mean, you didn't exactly have it easy, these past few years. What with your mother dying, and then your father… but everything was okay as long as you had Jacob, right?"

"Don't you _dare_ say his name!" Palmer spat. He was visibly agitated now. Reid was definitely starting to get under his skin.

Outside the room, Morgan, Hotch, Peter and Neal were watching Reid and Palmer through the one-way window. "He's good at this," Peter said.

"Good skills in the interview room tend to come with being a profiler," Morgan explained with a smile. "Interviews do require profiling, because we can figure out the best way to get our suspect to break."

Neal just smiled; he was just staring transfixed at Reid, watching the genius talk. Reid was managed to keep his voice level and devoid of emotion, while Palmer was getting more and more agitated with every word Reid said. Reid was attacking Palmer's brother Jacob, attacking the UnSub, worming his way under Palmer's skin. Until finally, the man cracked.

Tears were leaking from Palmer's eyes as he thought about his dead brother. "Okay, okay!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "I don't know where he is, or why he started killing- please, you've gotta believe that."

"I do believe you," said Reid, sounding sincere. "But I _need a name_."

"Scott Hastings," Palmer said. As soon as he said the name, Reid picked up his case file and left the tiny room, going to where Hotch, Morgan, Peter and Neal were waiting for him.

"You guys heard that, right?" said Reid.

"Yep," Morgan replied. "I'll go call Garcia, see if she can get us a location." Morgan left the room, already pressing speed dial and putting his phone to his ear. The other three left the room after him, returning to the conference room where everybody else was waiting. Morgan was still on the phone to Garcia, trying to find a location on Scott Hastings.

As Morgan talked to Garcia, the others planned what they were going to do next. And as the others planned, Reid and Neal exchanged looks. Longing, anxious looks. Looks that said _soon, this case will be over_. _Soon, we can talk. Soon, we can figure this all out._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as long as my others, and that there wasn't that much interaction between Reid and Neal- but if I had put in what I have planned to happen next into this chapter, it would've become way too long. But fret not, because I do believe there's going to be some secrets revealed in the next chapter... guess you'll just have to wait and see what! :P**

**So, reviews? You know I love them, they're like virtual hugs to me :)**


	9. Reid's Confessions

**A/N: So I'm back from the beach with a new chapter for you guys! And guess who's back from Europe? :P Yep, this chapter is beta-ed, cos Diamond Cobra finally came home! :) Warning you now, Reid's gonna get angsty in this chapter, but I do believe he's going to come clean to a certain group of people!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Nine: Reid's Confessions<span>_

* * *

><p>Reid knew that they were close. They were very, <em>very<em> close. They had the UnSub's name, and even though it would probably take a while- because Garcia had said that 'Mr Scumbag' had covered his tracks well- they would have his location next. Garcia was definitely going to find it, he had complete faith in her. They were all working long into the night, but they didn't care. They wanted this one to be over, for good. And when it was, Reid could figure out what was going to happen with him and Neal.

Reid was so absorbed in his work in front of him, it took him a long while to look up and when he did he was shocked to realise that only the BAU was in the room. All of them were staring at him, too, with expressions ranging from concern to curiosity and everything in between. "What is it?" Reid asked slowly, suspecting that he already knew what they were going to ask.

"What's going on?" said Hotch. "I think you know we've all been watching you over these past few days, Reid, and we know there's something going on between you and Neal Caffrey. Did you want to tell us what it is?"

Reid let out a long sigh. Hotch had phrased what he had said as a question, offering Reid an out if he wanted it. Reid was very grateful for that (all the team knew that he didn't find it very easy to open up, and they didn't know whether or not he wanted to now), and a part of him desperately wanted to use that and say no, that he didn't want to tell them anything right now. But Reid didn't think that was an option anymore. The team was going to find out eventually. This wasn't something that was easy to hide.

And besides, Reid didn't really think that he _wanted_ to hide this from the team any more. He didn't think he could hold it in (all the emotions he was feeling made him feel like he would burst), and the team were his family. They deserved to know.

_And maybe, _Reid reasoned, _they'll be able to give me some advice about what to do. God knows I need it._

Reid emerged from his thoughts to find that the team was still watching him, waiting for his answer. "Yes," he said finally. "I'll tell you. You'd find out eventually anyway. And, well… this is important. You guys need to know."

The team tried to neutralise and soften their expressions. Because of how closed off Reid often was, they didn't want to do anything that would make him shut down.

They waited for Reid to talk; they knew he would start when he was ready. Finally he opened his mouth and said, "I know you guys have figured out that Neal and I already knew each other before this case. What I don't think you know is _how long_ we've known each other. When we first met, we were only kids. I was only seven."

"You've known each other that long?" Prentiss gasped, unable to help herself. None of the others made a noise, but they were all just as shocked as Prentiss. None of them had expected Reid and Neal to have that much history, especially as they had never heard any mention of the other man before this case.

Reid nodded. "Yeah, we have," he said. "The day we met was a rough day for me. Mum wasn't doing very well, and I couldn't get in contact with Dad, so I… well, I ran away. Neal found me, and he managed to make me smile. He made me laugh.

"I think we were already friends, even after that first meeting," Reid continued. "But I wasn't sure. I mean, you guys know what I went through as a kid- both at home and at school. And that made me cautious, even at that young age. But every time I felt down, or felt like I was about to cry, or everything was too much, Neal managed to make me smile and laugh again."

Morgan smiled. "He must've been a really good friend for you, kid," he said. "Caffrey must've meant a lot to you."

"Yeah, he did. But I think… I think I knew that Neal had a dark side, even then. He would constantly do things that I would never even _dream_ of doing, things that would get anybody else in trouble. But of course, being Neal, he could always worm his way out of trouble. Either that, or he wouldn't even be suspected of doing what he did."

"What exactly did he do?" Rossi asked.

"It was never anything physical or violence related," Reid replied. "You know, never assaults or threats or things like that. He was always an intellectual. I guess he was like me in that way.

"But even when we were kids, and as we were growing up, he was already conning people. Already stealing things. He never actually told me what he was doing, and I never actually confronted him over it. I didn't want to lose him. But I knew."

"Do you… do you know _why_ he didn't tell you what he was doing?" JJ asked tentatively.

"There were two reasons, I think," Reid said. "One was because he knew that I wouldn't approve, and he didn't want to lose me as a friend. The other one was that he knew I had a strong moral compass, and he knew that I would feel conflicted. I would feel incredibly guilty and feel like I _had_ to tell someone. But at the same time, I wouldn't want to tell on one of the only friends I had. He wanted to save me from that. And I didn't want to grow through that either. So I chose to turn a blind eye, and pretend I couldn't see it."

Reid rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands, and the team could feel the guilt and the emotion that was radiating from him in waves. Reid certainly looked like he was struggling, and anybody else would think that he just couldn't say anymore. But the people he worked with were profilers, and they knew that he really needed to get all of this off of his chest.

Reid himself looked back up at the team to find them still watching him. Part of him had been hoping that they would've thought that that was the end of his story, but the other part of him knew that they were never going to think that.

"There is more," Reid said. "But before I tell you, I should probably tell you something else about me. I'm- well, I'm bisexual."

The team were all mildly shocked, but less shocked than Reid had expected. _They must've already suspected something_, he realised. He gave a small chuckle. "But you guys already suspected that, didn't you?"

Morgan nodded, looking strangely apologetic. "I- well, I could see you when we went out to clubs, kid. You looked at the men there just as much as the women," he explained. "And I kind of suspected that that was the reason we never heard about you having very many girlfriends."

"You are right about that, Morgan," said Reid. "I have had a couple of boyfriends over the past several years that I never told you guys about. But the reason I'm telling you guys this _now_ is because, when Neal and I were teenagers, we… well, we started dating."

_That_ revelation from Reid was certainly not what the team had expected. Reid with Neal Caffrey- suave, sophisticated, a notorious flirt, and a convicted felon. Granted, Caffrey hadn't been a con man when he had been with Reid, but it still was the last thing the team thought they would hear.

"How long were you together?" Hotch asked, managing to keep his voice and his expression neutral.

"A long time," Reid said. "But no matter how much I- no matter what I felt for Neal, I couldn't handle who he was. I couldn't live with the fact that he was constantly flouting the law. I wanted him to change, I wanted him to stop, but I- I couldn't get him to do that. So I ended it."

Morgan looked like he wanted to say something, but he changed his mind. "Did you talk to him at all after you ended it?" he asked instead.

"I wrote to him a few times," Reid said. "They were never sent directly to him, though. They were always sent through somebody else." Reid let out a humourless laugh. "That should've been a sign. I should've seen, because of that, that Neal was deep into his cons. And after he was arrested, I never spoke to him again. Until this case." Suddenly Reid's expression changed, and he looked at the team pleadingly. "You guys have to believe that I didn't know what Neal was really up to. You have to believe that if I knew he was breaking the law, if I had any evidence, I would've told someone."

Morgan's expression softened, and Reid knew that was what the older man wanted to ask him. "I believe you, kid," he said sincerely.

"We all do," JJ added, touching Reid's hand gently.

Reid smiled at them. "Thanks," he said. He looked down at his hands before saying, "I still should've done something, though. Even though I didn't know what he was doing, I knew what kind of person he was. I should've at least stopped him from breaking the law."

The guilt reflected in Reid's eyes was the strongest the team had ever seen. They had all spent more time with Reid over the past several years than anybody else, and they knew him better than anybody else in the world. And they had never, ever, seen him like this. They all realised why Reid was feeling so guilty: he blamed himself for Neal's life. He blamed himself for Neal becoming a con artist, and for Neal breaking the law so badly and so many times.

JJ, being Reid's best friend and the one sitting closest to him, reached out and touched his hand again. "Spence, Caffrey's life isn't your fault," she said softly. "You said yourself, he was already that type of person when he was a kid. He would've become a con artist with or without you in his life. Life may have changed him now, but it's not your fault that he was that way then."

"That's always been both my biggest regret and biggest question with him, Jayje. I've never really been able to come up with an answer." Reid let out a long sigh, before saying, "We kissed. Earlier, when I was at his place."

"You _what_?" Prentiss gasped, out of shock rather than anything else. The others all had similar reactions; especially Morgan, who was just staring at Reid, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"There was just so much emotion between us, and I was feeling so much, and I- I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I never stopped loving him. I may have hated what he did with his life, but I never hated him." Reid began wringing his hands, like he always did when he was nervous. "I have no idea what to do now. I love him, but I don't- I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can be with him, I don't know whether it's a good idea, I don't know whether it would work out… I don't want to have my heart broken again."

The team looked between each other, having no idea what to do. Reid had never been emotional like this; he'd never bared his soul to them, and he'd never sought their advice on something like this. This must have been really important to him and he must really need their help.

"What do you want us to do?" said Prentiss, voicing the question that they all wanted to ask.

"I was hoping for some advice," Reid admitted. "Anything. Even the smallest little thing would help."

The others thought, really wanting to help their little genius out, but before any of them could say anything, Morgan's phone began to ring. "It's Garcia," he told the others, who sprang to alertness. This was it. "Hey, baby girl, you're on speaker," Morgan answered, as Hotch got up and gestured for Peter and his team to come into the room.

"I've got an address for you on Hastings," Garcia announced. "Two, actually. His house is on Highsmith Road, but he's not there. Satellite images show that no one's been in or out of there since before Adam Cambridge's murder. I do, however, have an address on his office. 2513 Prince Street."

"Thanks, Garcia, you're the best," Morgan said before hanging up. "We've got him."

"We all need to go in on this one," Hotch said. "The more agents we have, the more likely Hastings is to surrender. We don't want to panic him though, and make him kill somebody else, or even himself."

"I'm coming too," said Neal, speaking for the first time since he'd re-entered the room. Both Peter and Reid opened their mouths to protest, but Neal held up a hand to silence them. "I'm not just going to hang around here, waiting to hear whether you guys caught him or not. I'm not the type of person to do that. And besides, I'll just wait in the car. I really, really hate guns, anyway."

Reid looked like he wanted to protest further, but Peter let out a defeated sigh. "You're probably right, Neal," he said. "I'd rather you right under my nose where I can watch you, rather than back here on your own where you'll do something stupid, or illegal, or both. You can come, as long as Agent Hotchner has no objections."

"You won't get in the way?" Hotch said.

Neal shook his head. "Definitely not," he promised. "Like I just said, I really don't like guns. I want to stay as far away from them as possible."

"Alright then," said Hotch. "Let's go."

Everyone scrambled to get going, the agents strapping their guns to their belts and everyone- including Neal- putting on bulletproof vests. Even though Neal was planning not to be anywhere near any shooting, they knew that it was better to be safe than sorry.

They all drove towards Scott Hastings' office in black Bureau SUVs - Morgan, Hotch and Agent Barrigan were all seated in one car; Reid, Prentiss and Agent Jones in the second; and Rossi, JJ, Peter and Neal in the last one - without any lights or sirens blaring. They wanted to avoid letting Hastings know that they were coming, if possible. If he knew the FBI knew where he was, he might panic, and they didn't want that, a panicked UnSub was the most dangerous. They wanted to be as quiet and as inconspicuous as possible, until they actually got to their guy.

When they pulled up just down the road from Hastings' office, they climbed out of the SUVs and hid behind them so Hastings couldn't see them from the windows if he happened to look out.

"Okay, how are we going to do this?" Rossi asked.

"I am kind of apprehensive about this, but I have an idea," said Peter slowly. "I think Neal should go in first. Look at him. Hastings isn't going to suspect him, especially if he isn't carrying a gun."

"I don't know…" said Reid. "Something could go really wrong."

"I'm smart, Doctor," Neal said with a small grin. "And I'm charismatic. I could probably get a confession out of Hastings before he has any idea you guys are here."

"I know, you're right," said Reid. "But what about the bulletproof vest? It'll blow Neal's cover, and he can't take it off."

"Here," said Peter, handing Neal his jacket. "Wear this over the top, and make sure it completely covers the vest. If he catches even a glimpse of it, our plan will fail and we'll have to come in, all guns blazing."

"God, I hate guns…" Neal muttered under his breath as he pulled his jacket on. "Don't worry, guys. We won't have any problems."

"Uh huh," said Peter, having worked with Neal long enough not to believe that. "You'll need this, too." He handed Neal a microphone, and the younger man strapped it on, hiding it under his collar. "As soon as he admits to anything, we're coming in, okay?"

Neal nodded. "Got it." He moved out from behind the SUV and began walking towards Hastings' office with a purposeful stride. The gathered agents all listened in as Neal began talking to Hastings with an ease that belied the fear they all knew he felt. He was going so well, almost getting a confession out of Hastings, and then-

"Wait, you do look familiar," said Hastings.

"I told you, I'm no one important," Neal said, managing to betray his growing panic in his voice. "I'm just a man who's a fan of your work."

"And how would you know about my work?" Hastings asked. "I was careful. And I was very smart. My true identity could never be discovered by looking into my schemes."

"I'm very smart, too," Neal replied vaguely.

Hastings didn't speak for a while- like he was starting to believe what Neal was saying- and then he let out a gasp that scared the agents. "I know who you are," he said. "You're Neal Caffrey. And everyone knows that you work for the FBI now."

"No, wait-" Neal began, and then his mic cut out.

"We have to go in!" Reid cried, but he wasn't the only one with that sentiment. The agents all pulled out their guns and ran towards the building, storming into Hastings' office.

"FBI!" Hotch called out, but what they saw made them stop dead. Hastings had a hold of a visibly scared Neal, his gun pressed to the side of the consultant's head.

"Move and he dies!" Hastings smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry for leaving you on a cliffhanger, guys, but I didn't think I could scare or worry Reid too much in one chapter! :P And now that the BAU know about Reid and Neal's past... what's Reid going to do next? Guess you'll just have to wait and see? :P**

**So, reviews? Anyone who does gets a hug from Reid :P**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: ****"Honey, I'm home. Did'ja miss me?"**


	10. I Know How I Feel, But Not What To Do

**A/N: I know I left you guys on a cliffhanger last time, and I'm sorry, but here's the next chapter to tell you exactly what happens! There's only going to be three more chapters in this crossover after this one, sadly. I'm going to be kind of sad to finish it- I've really enjoyed writing it! But let's read on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, White Collar or any of their characters.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Ten: I Know How I Feel, But Not What To Do<em>

* * *

><p>Panic filled Reid's heart at the sight in front of him: their UnSub, Scott Hastings, holding a gun to Neal's head. He still appeared calm on the outside (he had to, otherwise Hastings would've noticed and gained the upper hand) but on the inside he was panicking more than he ever had in his life. <em>I knew this would happen, I knew this would happen<em>, echoed around his head, over and over. _This sort of stuff always happens, especially when I'm around_.

Reid could easily see that Neal himself was panicking, too. The man hated guns, as he had stated on many occasions, and now he had one being held to his head. It was enough to make anyone lose their cool.

Neal, realising himself that he was panicking, was wisely choosing not to open his mouth. He seemed to have come to the conclusion that if he opened his mouth, he would say something that he would regret and would set Hastings off. Instead, he was just shooting a pleading look at Reid, a look that said _please, please, get me out of here. Please._

"Hastings, you don't want to do this," said Reid, in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "You don't want to shoot him. Please, put the gun down so we can talk."

"That's not going to happen, Agent!" Hastings cried. "We all know that I'm not getting out of here, so I may as well take as many down with me as I can! Especially this idiot. Imagine, switching sides and joining the FBI when he could've disappeared and had the world. He deserves to die."

"Nobody deserves to die, Hastings. Not Neal Caffrey. Not you either," said Reid. "Please, put the gun down so we can talk."

"Nuh uh, no way," said Hastings, pressing his gun even harder into the side of Neal's head, causing the man to wince in pain. "There is no way I'm going to put this gun down."

As if he could sense that Reid was beginning to panic a little bit too much, and therefore wouldn't be able to talk Hastings down, Peter stepped in. "Hastings, you are in enough trouble as it is," he said. "Do you know how much _more_ trouble you would be in if you shot an FBI consultant? I don't know that you would ever see the light of day again."

"I guess that's all the more reason for me to shoot him, then, huh?" Hastings countered. "Because if I shoot him, you shoot me, and then I won't have to go to jail! I'm not going there."

"You don't want to die either, Hastings!" Peter yelled. "What would be the point of all of this, if you die?"

"I will still have created something great!" Hastings cried. "People will remember my name. More so if I'm dead, then if I've been captured by the likes of you!"

"Your name will be remembered, for a while," said Hotch, stepping in. "Yes, you'll be in the paper for a few days. But then you will be forgotten. If you die, _no one_ will remember who you are."

Hastings seemed to hesitate for a long moment, as if he was thinking about what Hotch had said. But then he shook his head "No," he decided. "I can't go to jail! I just can't!" His hand twitched, moving to pull the trigger, and then…

A gun went off.

But it wasn't Hastings'.

Reid was standing there, his gun pointing at Hastings, who was now lying on the floor, a gunshot wound in his head. It took a few moments for Reid to decide that Hastings was definitely dead, and lower his gun.

Neal was still standing in the same spot, breathing heavily, Hasting's blood splattered all over him. He almost looked like he was in shock- like he couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

Hotch bent down and took Hastings' gun, and the other agents began to search the dead man's office, while Peter went over to his charge. "Neal? Are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," said Neal. "I-" Neal suddenly cut himself off, wincing in pain as he clutched at his arm. It was then that Peter noticed the large gash on Neal's arm, which was bleeding heavily.

"Neal, he hurt you!" Peter exclaimed. Reid, hearing this from where he was searching Hastings' desk, crossed the room quickly to the pair.

"What did he do?" Reid asked.

"It's just a graze," Neal insisted, yanking his arm away from Peter's grasp. "I'm fine."

"Neal, you need to go to the hospital, and get stitches at the very least," Peter insisted. "That looks like it could be pretty bad."

"Seriously, it's not as bad as it looks," Neal said, almost angrily. "I really don't need to go to the hospital."

"Still trying to be as tough as ever, huh Neal?" said Reid, a hard glint to his eye. Neal knew that look; it was a look that meant Reid wasn't going to back down. "You know, I've worked in a job as dangerous as this long enough to know that when you get injured, you need to go to the hospital. Go. Just go."

Neal sighed. "Alright," he said. Peter looked between Neal and Reid, both curious and confused as to how Reid managed to convince Neal to go to the hospital so quickly.

As Neal was walking out of the office, clutching his arm in an attempt to stem the bleeding, Reid whispered to him, "I'm going to be here a little while longer, since I'm the one that shot Hastings. But I'll come by the hospital later to drive you back to your place, okay?" Neal nodded and kept walking, willing his mind not to stray places he didn't know whether it should go.

* * *

><p>After the crime scene had been cleared, Peter headed off to the hospital to visit Neal. As soon as Elizabeth had heard about what had happened, she'd insisted that she go with him. Peter was never going to say no to her coming though; he needed the moral support to talk to Neal right now.<p>

When Peter and Elizabeth walked into the room, Neal was sitting up in bed, looking thoroughly bored. Peter almost laughed at the sight; the ex-con looked rather comical, especially in the pale blue hospital gown that he just knew was ass-less.

"Please say you've come to bust me out of here," Neal said when he caught sight of the pair.

"No. We've come to talk to you, actually," Peter said, crossing the room and sitting down in the chair next to Neal's bed, Elizabeth standing beside him. Neal could tell that this was going to be a very serious talk, and it wasn't very hard for him to guess what Peter wanted to talk to him about.

Neal sighed, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. "All right, then," he said. "Let's talk."

Peter was a little surprised at how quickly Neal had agreed to talk, but he didn't say anything about it. "I want to talk to you about Doctor Reid," he said. "I want to know what's going on between the two of you."

Neal sighed again. "What, because you don't know enough about me? You want to know my shoe size, too? Unless you already know that." Peter opened his mouth to protest, but Neal held up a hand. "I'm kidding, Peter. It's not like I'm doing anything illegal. Seriously." He closed his eyes, bowing his head as he thought over exactly what to say. Peter and Elizabeth looked between each other, feeling a little worried, but before either of them could say anything to Neal, he started speaking.

"Reid- Spencer- and I… well, we go way back," he began. "Way, _way_ back. We were only kids, when we first met."

"Really?" Peter gasped. He should have said something better, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah, really," said Neal, a spark of laughter in his eye at Peter's reaction. "I've known him longer than most. He is a good man, Peter. And when we were younger, we were best friends. And then, as we got older- well, we became more than friends."

Peter couldn't believe his ears. He didn't know what he had been expecting Neal to say, but it certainly wasn't that. "Wait… so you and Doctor Reid… were in a relationship? So you're…?"

"Bisexual?" Neal finished for him. "I don't know, actually. With 99.99 per cent of men, I'm completely straight. But it is possible for a straight man to fall for another man. That's what happened with Spencer. We were everything to each other. But then I started breaking all the rules, and he wanted to stop me. So we fell apart. This case is the first time we've even contacted each other since you arrested me, Peter." There was another long pause before Neal spoke again. "We kissed. When he came to my house to talk, before we got Hastings' partner." Neal held his head in his hands as Peter and Elizabeth looked between each other again, shock written across both their faces. "We kissed, and I- I want to be with him, but I don't know if it's a good idea, and- I have no idea what to do. For the first time, I have no idea what to do." Neal looked up at Peter, the look on his face almost begging. "Peter, what do I do?"

Peter had definitely not been expecting Neal to ask him that. Neal had come to him for help before- but only when he was in serious trouble. He'd never asked for help with anything like this. He was more desperate and serious about this than Peter had realised.

"I can't help you, Neal," Peter said regretfully. "Believe me, for once, I actually wish I could. But this isn't one of those situations where you can follow only what your head says, or go to someone else for advice. You have to listen to what your heart wants this time, too." Peter rose from his chair, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We'll go, and leave you to think. See you later, Neal."

Peter and Elizabeth turned to leave, and they were in the doorway before Neal said, "Elizabeth? Can you stay a moment?"

Elizabeth looked at Peter, who nodded at her. "Of course, Neal," she said, coming a little way back into the room.

"I'll meet you at the car," Peter said, before walking away.

"What is it, Neal?" Elizabeth asked kindly.

"It was just- when I was about to leave with Kate, and I called you to say goodbye, I remember you saying 'I think there is a difference between loving someone and loving the idea of someone'." Elizabeth nodded, wondering where this was going. "With Kate, now I know it was the latter," Neal continued. "But with Spencer, I… I love him, Elizabeth. I definitely love him. I'm sure of it."

Elizabeth could hear the conviction and certainty clear in Neal's voice, and smiled gently at him. "Well then, Neal, I think you have your answer," she said softly. "I think you know what to do. I'll see you later, then."

Elizabeth walked away, leaving Neal alone with his thoughts. He knew he loved Reid; there was no doubt about that now. And if he was being totally honest with himself, he'd never _stopped_ loving Reid, like Reid had never stopped loving him. Neal knew those feelings would never go away, no matter what. Maybe Elizabeth was right; maybe he did have his answer.

* * *

><p>It was in the early evening when Reid finally arrived at the hospital to pick up Neal. Neal was lying down in the bed, his eyes closed. Both the situation with Hastings and thinking over what he was going to do with Reid had exhausted Neal, but all the thoughts racing through his mind had made it impossible to sleep. Which was why, when Reid coughed softly from the doorway, Neal's eyes snapped open instantly.<p>

Neal sat up in the bed, unable to help the smile that crossed his face at the sight of Reid. "Hey, Spencer," he said softly. "Everything wrapped up at the crime scene?"

Reid nodded, crossing the room so he was standing beside Neal's bed. "It's all done. You ready to get out of here? I don't know about you, but I really hate hospitals. I've been in one several times too many."

Neal chuckled. "Still as much of a disaster magnet as ever, I see," he said. "Yeah, I'm ready. Just let me get changed."

Neal was in and out of the bathroom in ten minutes, fully dressed and ready to leave. Reid was sitting on the bed, and it looked like he was deep in thought. "I'm ready, Spencer," he said. Neither man made a move to leave though; they both remained where they were, watching each other. "When do you have to go home? Back to DC?" Neal asked.

"Two days," Reid replied. "I think Hotch realised that I need extra time, and the team wasn't exactly against taking the weekend to see New York City."

"We definitely do need that time," Neal agreed. "We really need to work this out."

"Back to your place, then?" Reid suggested. "We'd have privacy there."

"Back to my place," Neal agreed, unable to stop himself from reaching out and touching Reid's arm before they both left the hospital room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Phew, Neal lived! :P And I just had to have Reid shoot Hastings- it just had to be him! And now we know that Neal definitely loves Reid, and in the next chapter they're definitely going to decide whether a relationship is a good idea! What do you guys think? Be sure to review and let me know, and tell me what you thought of this chapter!**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "Finally started watching season 6 of CM, less than a week later and I have 1 episode left."**


	11. Are We Really Going to do This?

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry this took so long guys! There were a couple of reasons for this- I've just started uni, so I'm really busy at the moment, I had a bit of writer's block about halfway through (and as a result this chapter is kinda short, which is another thing I'm really sorry about) and this is a really important chapter, so I wanted to get it exactly right. I ummed and ahhed over this, and changed it so many times, and now it's here! In this chapter, Neal and Reid _finally_ decide what to do about their relationship, so I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Oh, and sadly, after this chapter there are only two more to come :( I'm going to be sad to see this end, I've really enjoyed writing it. But I hope you enjoy the last few chapters when they come!**

**Disclaimer: From now on, see my profile for the disclaimer.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Eleven: Are We Really Going to do This?<em>

* * *

><p>The drive back to Neal's was completely silent. Reid gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his eyes focused on the road even as part of his mind was focused on the man sitting in the passenger seat beside him. Thousands of thoughts were flying around in his head, each one analysing and sorting through everything that had happened and what he wanted to happen. It was a potentially dangerous thing to happen, he knew that, but it was something beyond his control. Any other time he would pull over to clear his head but, with Neal in the car, that wasn't really an option because he didn't want the other man to realise there was anything wrong. There was one thing however, that was growing louder and louder with every second was that he <em>knew<em> how he felt, and he knew what he wanted in his heart.

Neal's arm was stinging, as his stitches pulled at his skin each time he moved, but his mind was far from the pain. Like Reid, his mind was focused on the man next to him. Unlike Reid, though, he didn't have to focus on the road, so his mind was _entirely_ focused on Reid. Neal had had a lot of time to think, in between Elizabeth and Peter leaving and Reid arriving to pick him up. He had thought about what Elizabeth had said about Neal realising he loved Reid and that it meant he already knew what to do about all of this.

Reid and Neal continued their silence all the way up to Neal's place, and they didn't even look at each other until they were safely ensconced inside with the door closed and locked behind them. When they did, they could each see something in the other's eyes. There was a world of emotion there for both of them: Want. Hope. Love.

Neal had crossed the room to stand beside his dining table so Reid followed after him, stopping mere inches from the other man. "Neal," Reid said softly, not wanting to break the quiet of the room but needing to speak, and the former con man focused his gaze on Reid. "Neal, this- you and me- this could be a very bad idea," Reid began. "So, so many things could go wrong. I think you know that. We might not work out. This could end up being a risk that isn't even worth it."

"I know that," said Neal quickly, but Reid wasn't finished.

"I'm an FBI agent," Reid reminded him. "This could be a very bad idea. If I'm with you, a former con artist-"

"_Alleged_ con artist," Neal cut in automatically with a smirk.

"Either way," Reid continued, "everybody, from the FBI Director to Agent Burke and my team, is going to be watching us. And they're going to be watching us _very_ closely. You would have to always stay on the straight and narrow. Outside of anything that has to do with your work as a CI, you would have to be as well behaved as is possible for you. One wrong move, and you not only bring yourself down, you bring me down with you."

"I understand that," Neal said. "And I promise you I'm going to try. I won't steal anything, or forge anything, or con anyone out of a large sum of money. I mean, I can't deny that I'm going to be tempted. But the temptation of being with you is so much stronger. I do like how you said I can still be as crooked as I want to on the job. Nice touch." He finished with a cocky smirk on his face, winking at the taller man.

Reid couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Neal," he said, ignoring the last comment and focussing on the sweet one from before. Then he fell silent for what felt to Neal like an eternity, clearly thinking over what he was going to say next. "That's not what I'm really worried about, though," he finally said. "I don't want my heart to be broken again. I don't want to go through that pain again, Neal. Yes, I know, last time I broke up with you, so that pain was technically my fault, but I- I don't want to go through it again. I don't think I could possibly go through it again, I-"

"Spencer, Spencer!" Neal said quickly, holding up a hand to stop what he recognised as one of Reid's trademark ramblings and not liking the hurt, almost broken, look in his eyes. "You're not going to have your heart broken again. Not by me. I promise you that. You know how I know?" Reid shook his head. "Because I joined the FBI for _you_, Spencer. To make you proud. I thought, when I first came up with the idea to become Peter's CI, that the only reason I was doing it was to get out of prison and find Kate, but, when Peter finally agreed to it, I- the first thought that crossed my mind was 'I wish Spencer could see me now. He'd be so proud of me'. I did all of this for _you_, Spencer. I love you. More than anything else in the world. I never stopped loving you, and I never will."

That was enough for Reid. Without another moment's hesitation, Reid crossed the distance between him and Neal and pressed their lips together. The kiss lasted for nearly a minute before both men broke away, needing air, but it was only a few moments before they were joined again. One of Neal's hands tangled in Reid's hair and one of Reid's hands gripping the back of Neal's shirt, pulling him closer and deepening their connection. Reid's tongue pushed at Neal's lips and the other man immediately allowed him entry and surrendering some control, sensing the other man needed that. He wasn't going to let Reid take complete control however, he wasn't going to let him explore as he pleased. With each swipe of Reid's tongue, Neal's moved right back creating a delightful mix of sensations for the both of them.

Neal's hands moved towards the bottom of Reid's shirt, slowly working their way under and pushing the fabric up. Reid, however, reached out and took Neal's hands, stopping him. "Stop," Reid whispered. "Just… just hold on a sec, okay?"

"Is something wrong?" Neal asked, suddenly worried.

"No, no," Reid assured him quickly. "I just need to know something first. I just need to know if you're sure about this."

"Spencer, I've never been surer about anything in my life," Neal replied. Neal tried to pull up Reid's shirt again, but Reid gripped his hands again to stop him. "What is it?"

"I love you too," Reid said, a grin pulling at his lips, before finally allowing Neal to remove his shirt.

"Thank god you're not wearing a tie today," Neal said, as he drank in the sight of Reid's naked chest. Damn, how he'd missed seeing this. This was more beautiful to him than any artwork he'd ever seen. "I don't know about you, but they always get in my way in situations like these."

"They sure do," Reid muttered, the extreme desire he was feeling evident in his already husky voice. "Thank god you didn't have the chance to put on a suit."

"Normally I'd disagree with you, but considering I'm gonna be completely naked soon, I'm going to agree with you," said Neal in a low voice. "I have waited far too long to do this again."

The hunger, desire and near desperation Reid and Neal felt as they basically tore each other's clothes off was like nothing either of them had ever felt before. Reid, while he had been in relationships since Neal, had not been involved in anything serious. He'd blamed his job for his inability to remain in a relationship, and in some cases this was true: his relationships with Lila Archer and Austin (and one or two other people) had fallen apart because he was far too busy, and he never had the time to travel to see them. Most of the time, however, Reid knew that it was his inability to _be_ in a relationship; to even want to commit. Since Neal had come back into his life, Reid had begun to realise that maybe there was another reason behind that as well: that he still carried a strong torch for the person who had once meant everything to him, and could mean everything to him again.

Neal, on the other hand, had definitely been in a serious relationship since Reid. He had loved Kate, and he had thought, until she had died, that he would be with her for the rest of his life. But, in the back of his mind, Neal had never forgotten Reid. He had thought that he'd never see Reid again, so he hadn't felt guilty remembering what a relationship with the other man was like. And being with Reid was so different to being with anyone else. There was nobody in the world like Reid. Nobody made love the way Reid did. Nobody was as gentle and as caring at Reid, while being so passionate and so forceful at the same time. Nobody was so confident, and yet also so unsure. And nobody was as unique and as special as Reid. Nobody.

Neal couldn't help but stare at Reid once they were both fully undressed. Now _there_ was a sight he thought he'd never see again. He braced his hands against Reid's chest, leaning in and kissing the other man _hard_. "Maybe we should go to the bedroom now, before we get too far to be able to stop ourselves," Neal suggested.

"Maybe we should," Reid agreed. "You… you do have supplies, right?"

"You never were one to just say condoms and lube, were you Spencer?" Neal chuckled, moving his hands lower and lower down Reid's chest. "Yes, they're in the drawer beside my bed. Always a full stock, just in case."

"Why am I not surprised?" Reid said. "You… you are incorrigible, you know that? But I really missed that. I really missed _you_."

"I missed you too," Neal whispered in a low, husky voice. "I missed kissing you." He kissed Reid, teasing him with his tongue before pulling away. "I missed touching you." He moved one hand slowly down Reid's chest, resting it on his thigh. "God, you have no idea how much I've missed touching you."

"I think I have some idea," said Reid. "Because I've missed all of that too. Maybe I should just show you _how much_."

*********CMxSRxNCxWC*********

A long while later, completely naked and covered in a sheen of sweat, Reid and Neal were lying in bed facing each other. Both men were exhausted, yet happier than they'd been in a long time. They really had missed this.

Neal smiled, brushing a lock of Reid's hair out of his eyes. "Wow, genius. You've certainly learned some moves since the last time we were together," he said.

"Quite a bit of time has passed since then, Neal," Reid pointed out. "It's only logical that I would've learnt some moves in the bedroom. And I had to, to be able to match you. Nobody makes love quite like you, guy or girl."

Neal chuckled. "Well, I suppose you're right about that last part." He stroked Reid's face gently. "Do you… do you have to leave? To go back to your hotel?"

Reid shook his head into Neal's hand. "No," he replied. "The team know I've come to try and work things out with you. I- I told them about us. I had to, Neal. They're my family- I couldn't _not_ tell them; it wasn't fair to them."

"That's okay, Spencer. Watching you since you've been here, I could see how important they were to you, and you were to them," said Neal. "That's why I said you could tell them."

"Thank you," Reid whispered, instinctually leaning towards Neal and pressing a kiss to the other man's forehead. "You know, we don't need to talk now. We have all day tomorrow to talk, if we want to."

"I do," said Neal. "And I must admit, I don't have the energy to talk right now. I haven't done anything like we just did in a very long time."

"Then let's talk in the morning," Reid agreed. The two men put their arms around each other, holding their lover close. And as they fell asleep, their minds were only on each other.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there you have it- Neal and Reid are really going to go ahead with this relationship! They do have quite a bit of stuff to work out and talk about, and the BAU and Peter still need to hear about this, which is to come in the next two chapters. Stay tuned! :)**

**Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile, asking which one of my currently in-the-works multi-chapter fics you would like me to publish first! Be sure to go and vote! :) And if you're not too angry at meet for making you wait so long for this chapter, I'd love for you to review!**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "Smut free yet still sexy ;P"**


	12. You're Worth It

**A/N: I know it's been a hell of a long time, but life and school really just got in the way. But here I finally am, with a new chapter! Unfortunately, this is the second last one, which I am quite sad about. But I do have a sequel in the works, which I will publish somewhere down the line. Anyway, I hope the extremely long time between chapters won't stop you from enjoying this one!**

**Disclaimer: See my profile.**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter Twelve: You're Worth It<span>_

* * *

><p>Waking up with warm arms encircling him, and with his own arms wrapped around the man whose bed he was sharing, Reid felt happier than he could remember being in a very long time. His eyes were still closed, but he knew exactly who he was lying in bed with. Neal Caffrey. After so long apart, after years of trying not to think about how much he missed the other man, Reid was finally back in bed with Neal. And they'd had <em>sex<em> together last night… now _that _was something Reid had never thought would happen again. Not that he was going to complain about that; Neal was very, very good in bed. Speaking of Neal…

Reid opened his eyes, turning his head slightly so he could look at Neal. The ex con man's eyes were still closed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically as he slept. He looked so gorgeous as he laid there, so peaceful… Reid would just stay there and watch Neal sleep forever, if he could. And he was sorely tempted to. But alas, he couldn't, and he leaned forward to press his lips gently to Neal's forehead, rousing him from his slumber.

Neal was slow to wake. He shifted slightly, mumbling something under his breath. Reid kissed Neal on the forehead again, and the man shifted a little more before his eyelids fluttered open. It took him a while to register that he wasn't alone; he blinked rapidly before his eyes finally focused on Reid's face. "Hey, you," he said, a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Hey yourself," Reid said, leaning forward to kiss Reid on the lips this time. "You take a long time to wake up."

"I always have," said Neal. "I can't believe you forgot about that. You, with your eidetic memory and that huge brain of yours." He put a finger in the middle of Reid's forehead and grinned at the genius. Reid couldn't help but laugh; Neal had always been a lot goofier in the morning than he was normally.

"I love your smile," Reid said out of nowhere, just looking at Neal. Rather than look shocked, Neal just grinned wider, stroking a lock of hair out of Reid's eyes.

"And you're beautiful," Neal said back. "You are absolutely, astonishingly beautiful. And I can't believe I ever let you go." He kissed Reid on the nose, chuckling softly. "You know, that was the best night's sleep I have had in a very, very long time," he remarked.

"Mmmm," Reid murmured, a content smile crossing his face. "I agree. I can't remember having slept that well, since… well, probably since our last night together. Not that I haven't been happy, but, well- I haven't been _that_ happy." If it hadn't been first thing in the morning, Reid would've started rambling. Something Neal had realised, because he smirked at the agent and ruffled his hair.

Reid pulled away from Neal's touch, but he was smiling. "I think my hair's messy enough," he chuckled.

"I like it messy," Neal declared, reaching out and ruffling Reid's hair again deliberately, giving the man an innocent smile. "So, genius, what were you planning on doing today? I hope you weren't planning on loving and leaving me."

"Neal, if I was going to leave, I wouldn't have woken you up," Reid pointed out. "And you know I'm not that kind of guy." Neal opened his mouth to say something, but Reid held out a hand to stop him. "Relax, relax. I know you didn't mean it like that. I- I was thinking that we go get a coffee, and talk about things. We still have a lot to discuss, you know."

"Yeah, I do," Neal agreed, and then he laughed. "It's nice to know that you still have your insatiable desire for coffee. Or should I say, a little coffee with a hell of a lot of sugar."

"Oh, ha ha," said Reid sarcastically, climbing out of bed and finding his underwear, pulling them on. "That's exactly what Morgan says, every time he sees me getting coffee at work."

"Hey, Spencer, can I ask you a question?" said Neal. Reid turned around to look at him, nodding. "Don't get angry at me or anything for asking this, but… have you ever had feelings for Morgan?"

"I did, in the early days," Reid admitted. "When I first started at the BAU. It was just a crush, though. And anyway, now Morgan's too much like the older brother I never had. It'd be far too weird." Reid cracked another smile at the man still lying in the bed. "So trust me, Neal, you have nothing to worry about. Unless you hurt me. Because Morgan- and the rest of the team, but especially Morgan- are extremely protective of me. They're going to be watching us very closely, Neal. And if you stuff up… well, let's just say that they'll make _sure_ that you regret. Not that I think you'll hurt me. I know you won't. I'm just warning you."

"I know, Spencer, I know," Neal assured him. "And I'm glad that you have people that care about you so much they're that determined to protect you. I know you haven't really had that in your life."

"The team is my family," said Reid softly. "They mean the world to me, and in some crazy way I mean the same to them. You have no idea how glad I was when they didn't try to talk me out of beginning a relationship with you again. But enough of this heavy talk in the bedroom, yeah? Let's go get that coffee."

Reid and Neal got dressed, each of them watching the other surreptitiously when they thought he wasn't looking, which may have increased the time it took them to get ready, but neither man could bring themselves to regret it. When they were finally done, Reid reached for Neal's hand and the former con artist took it gratefully, fitting his fingers into the gaps between Reid's. When Neal opened his door, though, it was to find both Mozzie and Neal's landlady June standing there, waiting for them.

"Hey, guys," said Neal cautiously, gripping Reid's hand a little tighter, almost in reassurance.

"Hello, Neal," said June kindly. "And this must be the Doctor Reid that Mozzie has told me about."

"I am," said Reid. His gaze shifted from June to the small man standing beside her. He may not have been in a relationship with Neal when Mozzie had come into his life, but Mozzie knew a lot about him. He'd never liked Reid, because he'd always been there, pushing Neal away from a life of crime. And that wasn't something that Mozzie wanted.

"Mozzie, please don't start," said Neal warningly when Mozzie opened his mouth, but the older man shook his head.

"I wasn't going to, Neal," said Mozzie. "What I was going to say was that while I might not particular like young Einstein here, I might have realised that I was wrong about him. You- you're good for Neal, Doctor Reid."

"I agree," June spoke up. "From what I've heard about you, Doctor Reid, you sound like a very good guy. And who knows? Maybe Neal won't be so tempted to do something stupid with you in his life."

"Thank you for saying that," said Reid sincerely. "And please, just call me Reid. Don't bother with the Doctor part."

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Reid," said June, shaking Reid's free hand.

"Not that this little moment hasn't been nice," Neal interjected, "but we really have to go. We have a lot to catch up on." After waving goodbye to June and Mozzie, Neal led Reid out onto the street, still holding his hand.

The two of them walked the one to the café in silence, just enjoying each other's company. They were just happy that they were alone together; they had no need to be talking. They had plenty of time for that.

Neal squeezed Reid's hand when they arrived at the café, smiling at him. "Let's sit outside," he suggested. "We'd have a lot more privacy out here."

"Definitely," Reid agreed. "Privacy is a good idea. And sometimes, it's nice to sit and just watch the world go by."

Neal chuckled. "I'll go get our coffees." Reid sat down at a table and Neal headed inside, returning several minutes later with two cups of coffee. He set one down in front of Reid, before taking his own seat. "I already added a lot of sugar for you, but I don't know if it's enough."

Reid took a sip of the steaming hot liquid, and a content look spread across his face. "It's perfect," he whispered. The two men sat in silence for several moments, before Reid said, "We're really going to do this. We're really going to try and have a relationship."

Neal nodded. "Yeah, Spencer. We are. We really, really are." He chuckled softly. "I can scarcely believe it either. I didn't even think that I'd see you again, let alone…" He trailed off, smirking at Reid. "I never thought we'd get to here."

"Neither did I," Reid agreed. "We both know this will be hard, though. We live in two different cities. I travel _all_ the time for work, so I'm hardly ever home, and when I am I get called away. And you have your tracking anklet. You can't leave New York. This is most definitely not going to be a normal relationship."

Neal laughed. "Since when was either of us _normal_?" he asked. "But that's okay. Normal's boring. I don't like normal. And I love you for not being normal."

"I love you too," said Reid, leaning across the table and kissing Neal. "Mmmm. You taste like coffee."

"And you taste like coffee and a hell of a lot of sugar," Neal quipped. "My favourite taste in the whole world, because it always makes me think of you. Which is how I know that this relationship is worth it. Because you're all I think about. I'll see something and think about how you'd like it, or dislike it. I eat something and imagine you eating it with me, ever since you came back into my life you've been a constant in my thoughts. And when we kissed, and when we slept together last night… that was the happiest I've been in a long time. You're worth everything that life throws in our way Spencer Reid and I will do whatever I can to keep you in mine."

"So are you," said Reid. "And we owe it to ourselves to at least try, right? I've had enough of sitting on the sidelines and watching people I know find love. I want it too."

"I want that for you, too," said Neal. He took Reid's hand in his own, pressing his lips gently to the genius's pale skin. "And I promise I will try to be good- well, as possible as it is for me to be good. I can't promise that I won't slip up, but I can promise that I won't do anything that would get me into serious trouble, and you by association."

"Thank you," Reid whispered, smiling at Neal.

Neal smiled, squeezing Reid's hand. "I… I think I need to tell you about what happened with Kate. It's only fair. You deserve to know. And don't you dare tell me I don't have to," Neal added when Reid opened his mouth to speak. "Because I do, for me." When Reid nodded, Neal took a deep breath before speaking. "You know about my history with Kate, before I got arrested. We were still in contact then, after all. But while I was in jail, Kate broke up with me and disappeared. I had no idea why, but I knew, _I knew_, that she didn't just want to disappear from my life. And I was right.

"She was working for someone who wanted that music box that everyone thought I stole, but I never actually did," Neal continued. "And if we got it for them, her and I could disappear together, forever. I wouldn't have to worry about my tracking anklet, or about having to pay for my past… all my crimes would be forgotten, I'd have a new identity, and I'd be free. But I didn't think I'd grow so attached to working for the FBI, to Peter, to everyone here, and in that moment before I boarded a plane to leave New York forever, I turned around to face Peter, who was trying to stop me, and… the plane blew up, with Kate still on it. That was how she died."

"I'm so sorry," Reid said softly.

"I know," said Neal. "But, what I had with Kate… she's gone now. And I love you. So, so much. And it's you I want to be with. I just wanted you to know that."

"I know," said Reid, echoing Neal's words. "Your life certainly sounds like it's been very eventful."

"I'm sure yours has been just as eventful," Neal joked.

"Tell me about it," said Reid. "You wanna hear?" When Neal nodded, Reid said, "I dated Lila Archer six years ago."

"I saw that magazine article," said Neal with a smirk. 'A Mystery Man in Lila's Life."

"Shut up," said Reid. "Most of what's happened to me… it hasn't been good. You know about Tobias Hankel obviously, since you read my un-mailed letter. And then when I was finally back on the rails, Gideon, who was like the father I've never had, he just walked away, without a proper goodbye. He just walked away with nothing but a letter, just like my dad did."

"Well, I promise you that I will never do that. Walk away from you," Neal declared.

"I know you wouldn't," said Reid. "I wouldn't be doing this if I thought you would. Speaking of my father, I saw him a few years ago."

"You did?" Neal gasped. "Why?"

"We were working on a case in Vegas- a little boy had been kidnapped and killed, and another little boy taken. And I'd started having these dreams… of me and my team finding a little boy in his house behind the dryer. I thought it wasn't real, but it turned out to be Riley Jenkins, this boy I knew when I was really little, before I met you. And then I thought Dad did it… it turned out he didn't, but I had to talk to him again to prove it. I'm not really on speaking terms with him yet, but I'm trying. I really am."

Neal didn't know what to say. He just gave Reid a compassionate look, squeezing Reid's hand tightly in his own before letting it go. He knew what it was like to have a father he wasn't proud of. "That's not all that's happened to me," Reid admitted. "I got held in a church compound with one of my teammates and almost blown up, I almost died of anthrax poisoning, I got shot in the knee and was on crutches for months, umm… and you know Agent Prentiss, the woman with the dark hair? We all thought she was dead for months, but she'd faked her death to protect herself- and us- from an international criminal."

"And- how did you react to that?" Neal asked cautiously.

"Let's just say I wasn't happy," said Reid. "Especially since JJ- the blonde woman- and Hotch, my boss, knew about it. I didn't handle her supposed death well, and they could have put an end to that. But, well, I think we're pretty much past that now."

"Damn, genius, you sure have been through a lot in your life, haven't you?" said Neal, wondering how on earth someone could've gone through all that and had come out fine on the other side. In fact, Reid seemed better than fine. Before, when Neal knew him he was strong, but he had an underlying cautiousness and was often hesitant. Though some aspects of that man still existed, now he was more confident in himself and was willing to speak up for himself and those he cared about without a second thought. The BAU had been good for his genius and he had a feeling that all those life or death situations he'd been in had made Reid a better man overall.

Reid smiled. "I sure have. Enough with the heavy talk, anyway. We've both finished our coffees, and I only have today and tonight until I return to DC. What do you say we had back to your place and continue to get, uh, _reacquainted_ with each other?"

Neal grinned, the light in his eyes dancing like flames. "Oh, Spencer, you sure do know the most roundabout way to say 'let's have sex again'. But don't worry, I love that about you and I love you, so my answer is most definitely yes." Reid was blushing, but he nodded and rose from his seat. "So come on, Spencer Reid," said Neal, reaching out his hand. "Let's go and sleep together again before you have to return home." As soon as Neal finished speaking, Reid slipped his hand into his lover's, and the two men began walking back to Neal's place.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there you have it! I know it's been a long time, but I really hope you review, I've missed hearing from you all! And I promise I'll get the last chapter out A LOT sooner than this one! :P**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "Anyone eat too much chocolate?"**


End file.
